Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings cuts ties with Myanmar Star Online Report Star Online Report
Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings Company Limited has terminated its ties with Myanmar s military-linked company Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited a decision being seen as a strong message to the Myanmar military.
The announcement comes days after Myanmar military took control of the country through a coup and detained the country s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders of the National League of Democracy that saw a landslide victor in the November elections.
In a statement Friday, Kirin Holdings Company Limited said it is deeply concerned by the recent actions of the military in Myanmar, which are against the standards and human rights policy that Kirin maintains.
Last modified on Thu 4 Feb 2021 11.32 EST
Human rights groups have urged Japanese brewing giant Kirin, the multinational behind beer brands XXXX, Tooheys, Kirin, and Little Creatures, to cut ties with its Myanmar business operations, alleging its continued part-ownership of two military-linked breweries there makes it effectively complicit in war crimes committed by the military in Myanmar.
The company owns just over half of of both Myanmar Brewery and Mandalay Brewery in partnership with Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL), a company controlled by the country’s military that a UN investigation has found is overseen by the commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
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Japanese beer conglomerate Kirin says
an investigation by Deloitte was unable to determine if the company has been
funding the Myanmar military through its joint ownership of domestic beer
companies. Critics say Kirin has been complicit in human rights abuses by
partnering with a Myanmar military-owned company.
Editorial
Japanese beer corporation Kirin has
said that an assessment of its ties with the Myanmar military was
“inconclusive” as to the company’s role in human rights abuses and military
operations.
Kirin has faced major criticisms over its joint ownership of Myanmar
alcohol companies with the military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd.
(MEHL). Since 2015, Kirin has held 51% ownership of both Mandalay Brewery