UN Report on Burma Military Interests – British Gov Must Back Sanctions on Military Companies

As the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar today publishes a new report on Burmese military economic interests, Burma Campaign UK called on the British government to support their recommendation of sanctions on Burmese military companies.

To date, the British government has not supported either the findings or the recommendations of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which published its detailed report and recommendations on 18^th September last year.

• The British government does not support imposing sanctions on Burmese military companies and stopping British companies doing business with military companies.
• The British government does not publicly support the United Nations Security Council referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.
• The British government does not support the UN imposing a global arms embargo on Burma.
• The British government does not support imposing conditions on aid grants and loans to ensure recipients of British aid do not use military companies for goods or services.

“The revenue that these military businesses generate strengthens the Tatmadaw’s autonomy from elected civilian oversight and provides financial support for the Tatmadaw’s operations with their wide array of international human rights and humanitarian law violations,” said Mission Expert Christopher Sidoti.

In December 2018 Burma Campaign UK published a ‘Dirty List’ of international companies doing business with the military or linked to human rights violations in Burma. The new UN report used information from the ‘Dirty List’. An updated version of the ‘Dirty List’ will be published later this month, with dozens more companies being added.

“The British government has shown an astonishing reluctance to impose any kind of sanction on the Burmese military, and appears quite happy to allow British companies to do business with the military,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.  “To date, the only sanctions the British government has supported is stopping a small number of junior military personnel from taking holidays in EU member states. The holiday ban doesn’t even apply to military head Min Aung Hlaing.”

Notes:

UN Fact Finding Mission report on economic interests of the Myanmar military published 5^th August 2019

Full report of the UN Fact Finding Mission published 18^th September 2018.

Burma Campaign UK ‘Dirty List’