Today the non-profit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is launching its first briefing on Myanmar: “Business & human rights in Myanmar – a round-up of recent developments.”

Download the twelve-page briefing here.

The briefing covers the positive and negative impacts of companies operating in the country. It draws on a range of reports that the Resource Centre has featured on its website and in its Weekly Updates, from local NGOs, community groups, business organizations and the media. It also refers to responses we received from companies when we asked them to reply to concerns raised by civil society, and notes which companies failed to respond.

Bobbie Sta. Maria, the Resource Centre’s Southeast Asia Researcher & Representative who is based in Thailand, commented: “This briefing shows how community members and civil society groups in Myanmar have made use of newfound freedoms to raise their concerns, and how companies and the government have responded.”

The briefing provides a snapshot of how major projects – the Shwe gas pipeline, Myanmar-China oil pipeline, Dawei Special Economic Zone, Monywa copper mine, and Myitsone Dam – are affecting communities in Myanmar. Reported abuses include forced labour, displacement of communities, violent attacks on protesters by police and security forces, and the arbitrary arrest and detention of protesters. The briefing also draws attention to freedom of association concerns, and the problem of child labour in factories and local small-scale industries. A section of the briefing points to positive initiatives that some companies have taken in Myanmar.

Also highlighted are relevant domestic and international policy developments. The briefing provides links to guidance materials for companies investing in Myanmar, flagging steps that should be taken to avoid contributing to human rights abuses.

Joanne Bauer, Senior Researcher of the Resource Centre, said: “This briefing is a snapshot of the Myanmar situation today, indicating how far the country has come and the significant work that remains to ensure that business does not contribute to human rights harms.”

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is disseminating the briefing in Myanmar and worldwide, including to companies operating in or considering operating in Myanmar, civil society groups, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, UN Working Group on business & human rights, ASEAN, Asian Development Bank, ILO, UNDP, IFC, World Bank and IMF.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre tracks the human rights impacts (positive & negative) of over 5000 companies in over 180 countries. The site is updated hourly and receives 1.5 million hits per month. We seek responses from companies when concerns are raised by civil society. The response rate is over 75% globally. Advocates thank us for bringing global attention to their concerns and for eliciting responses from companies. Companies thank us for providing them the opportunity to present their responses in full. This process often leads to real improvements on the ground.

Special portals on the Resource Centre’s website include:

• Getting Started – an introduction to business & human rights
• Tools & Guidance
• UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• UN Working Group on business & human rights
• UN Special Representative on business & human rights
• Corporate Legal Accountability
• Business, Conflict & Peace
• Business & Children
• Business & Freedom of Association
• Human rights impacts of oil pollution: US Gulf Coast, Ecuador, Nigeria

Mary Robinson chairs the Resource Centre's 70-member International Advisory Network. Its 23 Academic Partners include leading academic institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.

The Centre has 14 regional researchers:

• Sa'eda Al-Kilani, Middle East & North Africa Researcher, based in Jordan
• Lowell Chow, East Asia Researcher, based in Hong Kong
• Aliou Diouf, Francophone Africa Researcher, based in Senegal
• Rania Fazah, Middle East & Gulf Region Researcher, based in Lebanon
• Eniko Horvath, Europe Researcher, based in UK
• Harpreet Kaur, South Asia Researcher, based in India
• Joseph Kibugu, Eastern Africa Researcher, based in Kenya
• Danielle McMullan and Irene Pietropaoli, UK, Ireland, and Israel & Palestine Researchers, based in UK
• Nokukhanya (Khanya) Mncwabe, Anglophone Africa Researcher, based in South Africa
• Julia Mello Neiva, Brazil, Portugal & Portuguese-speaking Africa Researcher, based in Brazil
• Gregory Regaignon, Research Director & North America Manager, based in USA
• Amanda Romero, Latin America & Caribbean Researcher, based in Colombia
• Ella Skybenko, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Researcher, based in Ukraine
• Bobbie Sta. Maria, Southeast Asia Researcher, based in Thailand

For further information about the Resource Centre, see the "About us" section of the website.

SUPPORT THE RESOURCE CENTRE: Please consider donating to Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, to enable us to continue our work in Southeast Asia and internationally, and to offer our website, special portals, Weekly Updates and briefings to a global audience without any charge. As we do not accept donations from companies or company foundations, donations from individuals and foundations are essential for our work to continue.

Donate online: www.business-humanrights.org/Aboutus/Makeadonation

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a Registered Charity in England & Wales (no. 1096664), and in the United States is a tax-exempt non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

The Resource Centre is an independent non-profit that promotes greater awareness and informed debate about human rights issues relating to business. Our website is updated hourly with news and reports about companies’ social and environmental impacts worldwide, including alleged abuses, positive steps, and company responses to concerns raised about their conduct. The site has sections on over 4000 companies. It also includes special resources such as all materials issued by the UN Special Representative on business & human rights; a list of companies with human rights policies; profiles of lawsuits against companies. Mary Robinson is Chair of our International Advisory Network. Visit the website for further details and to sign up for free Weekly Updates. See website for contact details of our New York office and team members in Hong Kong, India, South Africa, UK, Ukraine, USA

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