• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Burma Campaign UK

Burma Campaign UK

  • Campaign News
  • Media
    • News
    • Reports
    • Burma Briefing
    • Blog
  • Take Action
    • Campaign Actions
    • Investment and Trade in Burma
    • Dirty List
    • Free All Political Prisoners
    • Persecution of the Rohingya
    • Arms Embargo
    • Aid to Burma
  • Support us
    • Donate
    • T-shirt store
    • Fundraising for Burma
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Trade Union Affiliation
    • Sign up to our Action Network
  • About Burma
    • Introduction
    • Timeline of the Coup
    • Fake 2010 Elections
    • Cyclone Nargis
    • 2007 Uprising in Burma
    • Aung San Suu Kyi
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Donate

Pepsi ends Burma Business British Burma campaign gathers momentum

January 27, 1997 All News, The Dirty List

PepsiCo have released a statement announcing the severance of all commercial links with Burma; “We are completing our total disengagement from the Burmese market. Accordingly, we have severed all relationships with our former franchise bottler, effective January 15, 1997. The bottler in Burma is taking appropriate steps to ensure that all production and distribution of our products are ceased by May 31, 1997.”

The Burma Action Group welcomes this decision which makes Pepsi the largest international corporation to date, to respond to a fast growing student and civic movement which actively opposes economic links with Burma’s military government. Nobel Laureate and Burma’s democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has urged economic sanctions against Burma and has said; “Companies such as Pepsi prolong the agony of my country by encouraging the present military regime”.

PepsiCo base their reason for withdrawal from Burma on assessment of current U.S foreign policy, however Pepsi’s previous unwillingness to address the problems posed by its Burma contracts, with its insistence that “free trade leads to free societies” had resulted in a worldwide student led boycott of Pepsi products. In 1996 supported by the Burma Action Group and the national student organisation Third World First, British students took up the “Get Pepsi Out of Burma” slogan; a growing number of student unions supporting a ‘selective purchasing policy’ banning the sale of Pepsi-Cola from vending machines and shops.

Yvette Mahon, Coordinator said; “this is a tremendous success for the Burma campaign here in Britain.  Under military dictatorship Burma is not a country where responsible companies can conduct good business.  Pepsi’s decision, like that of British Home Stores, Heineken, Carlsberg, Levis and others before them, gives clear indication that consumers are now aware that protest politics can, and do work, in persuading companies to behave ethically. Burma has become the South Africa of the 1990’s, the Burma Action Group predict that other companies will shortly follow Pepsi’s withdrawal.”

European Companies still in Burma include, Premier Oil, Total, Orient Express, the Burton Group and Unilever.

Recent news stories

Previous Post:Bhs No Longer Sourcing In Burma
Next Post:International Burma groups call for immediate protection of Karen refugees

Sidebar

You may also like

  1. Burma Campaign UK Welcomes New British Sanctions on Military Companies
  2. Partial Ban on Military Facebook Pages Welcomed by Burma Campaign UK
  3. Growing military company boycott campaign in Burma needs international support
  4. Labour one step closer to economic sanctions as Burton Group pull out of Burma

Join our action network

Subscribe

Who we are

Burma Campaign UK works for Human Rights, Democracy and Development in Burma

Join our Action Network

Subscribe

Find out more

  • Campaign News
  • About Burma
  • About Us
  • Resources

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Materials on this website are provided under a Creative Commons License | Privacy and Cookies Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Click Read More for information on cookies and our privacy policy. Accept or Block non-essential cookies
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT