Human Rights Now has given an oral statement at the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Myanmar focusing on the need for states and businesses to conduct heightened due diligence over any business links with Myanmar and to end any business that may support the Myanmar military’s grave violations and attacks on civilians.
A transcript of the statement is below the following video. The video is also available on the webstream of the session on the UN’s video streaming site at the following link: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k16/k16zmc33my?kalturaStartTime=5979
Transcript:
More than 20,000 people remain arbitrarily detained in Myanmar, more than 3 million displaced, and more than 6,000 civilians reportedly killed in attacks such as the airstrike of a wedding in Sagaing region on June 3 killing 27 civilians including 3 children.
We commend the Special Rapporteur bringing attention to foreign organizations financially enabling such violations.
In Japan, a 2023 JETRO survey of Japanese companies working in Myanmar reported that 73.9% of respondents intend to remain or expand operations in Myanmar, and only 5.4% intend to withdraw in 2024. Also only 22.3% of Japanese companies working in the ASEAN region have conducted human rights due diligence. With the military’s integration in the economy, there is a high risk these companies may be financially supporting its violations.
Similarly, while Japan’s government has ended new ODA projects, it has not ended existing projects such as the Thilawa SEZ, a joint project with Myanmar’s government, which remains operational.
We call on states and businesses to implement mandatory heightened due diligence for business links to conflict areas, including Myanmar, and for states to end all ODA and to support and implement binding sanctions against the military including an embargo on weapons and jet fuel. States must also coordinate to end the patchwork of sanctions and restrictions and ensure that no foreign source finances the military’s violations.
Thank you.