The Burma Campaign UK today called on mkone to stop sourcing clothes from Burma, or face a boycott campaign, to be launched on Saturday 17th March, atmkone Brighton store. A protest will take place from 12-5pm, at mkone, Western Street, Brighton.
Clothing exports are an important source of income for Burma’s brutal military dictatorship. Burmese trade unions have called on companies not to source clothing from Burma, as the clothing exports help to fund the dictatorship. The USA banned imports of clothing from Burma in 2003. More than 130 major high street clothing retailers, including M&S, Next, ASDA, H&M, Debenhams, House of Fraser and BHS, have policies not to source from Burma.
mkone had previously refused to disclose to the Burma Campaign UK whether it sourced clothing from Burma, but campaigners have found several items of clothing marked ‘Made in Myanmar’ (the regime’s name for Burma) in mkonein Brighton.
“Companies sourcing clothes from Burma are helping to fund a dictatorship that uses rape, torture and murder to oppress its own people,” says Vicky Houston, organiser of the boycott campaign. “Customers of MK One will be shocked to hear they are involved with this dictatorship.”
Burma appeals to manufacturers because of its very cheap labour, ban on trade unions and lack of health and safety laws. Factory wages are as low as 5p an hour. A factory employee working 60 hours a week could earn just £3. This is below the United Nations definition of an extreme poverty income.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has also condemned companies trading with Burma. In June 2003 he told the House of Commons: “..we do not believe that trade is appropriate when the regime continues to suppress the basic human rights of its people.”
In addition to the boycott campaign, mkone will also be added to the ‘Dirty List’ of companies directly or indirectly funding the regime in Burma.
For more information contact Mark Farmaner, Acting Director of the Burma Campaign UK, on 020 7324 4713