Burma Campaign UK is planning to revive its ‘Dirty List’ strategy of naming and shaming companies linked to human rights violations in Myanmar, the London-based activist group said on November 8.
The new list would be published early next year and updated regularly, BCUK said in a statement.
The group first published the ‘Dirty List’ in 2002 to identify companies linked to either the junta or to human rights violations.
It said more than 100 companies ended their involvement in Myanmar after being named on the list, including British American Tobacco, PWC, WPP and P&O Cruises.
BCUK said it discontinued the list after Myanmar’s democracy movement dropped calls for targeted sanctions.
Support more independent journalism like this. Sign up to be a Frontier member.
It said the new ‘Dirty List’ would focus on companies supplying or doing business with the Tatmadaw and companies involved in projects linked to human rights violations.
“Consideration will be given to any potential impact on job losses for ordinary people in Burma before a company is added to the list,” said BCUK, which was formed in 1991.
“The new list will mainly focus on companies involved with the military, as the military are responsible for most human rights violations in the country, and blocking democratic reform,” said Ms Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK.
“If a company is supplying the military or doing business with them, it is helping them commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. They are facilitating the rape of ethnic women and children and the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya,” she said.
Roberts said the decision to revive the list followed overwhelming support for the move in an online survey.
“We hope this new ‘Dirty List’ will force companies to stop supplying and funding the military in Burma,” Roberts said.
