Japan s Kirin cuts ties with Myanmar military-owned firm
Issued on:
05/02/2021 - 03:24 2 min
Tokyo (AFP)
Japanese beer giant Kirin said Friday it is ending its joint venture with a military-owned conglomerate in Myanmar after a coup in the country.
The arrest of democratic leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi has sparked international condemnation and Kirin said it was deeply concerned by the recent actions of the military in Myanmar . Given the current circumstances, we have no option but to terminate our current joint-venture partnership with Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL), which provides the service of welfare fund management for the military, the firm said.
Friday, 05 Feb 2021 04:25 PM MYT
The Kirin logo is displayed at Kirin Brewery Co. Yokohama Factory in Yokohama June 11, 2019. Reuters pic
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TOKYO, Feb 5 Japanese beer giant Kirin said today it is ending its joint venture with a military-owned conglomerate in Myanmar after a coup in the country.
The arrest of democratic leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi has sparked international condemnation and Kirin said it was “deeply concerned by the recent actions of the military in Myanmar”.
“Given the current circumstances, we have no option but to terminate our current joint-venture partnership with Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL), which provides the service of welfare fund management for the military,” the firm said.
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.
The Irrawaddy Business Roundup
By Zaw Zaw Htwe 9 January 2021
Yangon – Myanmar expects to start providing COVID-19 vaccines in February and is seeking public donations to help fund the process. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, many shops, restaurants and teashops have reopened to allow their businesses to survive.
Also this week the Japanese firm Kirin announced it will continue denying profits to its partner in a joint venture with a firm linked to Myanmar’s military.
The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations has also announced investments approved in October and November.
The Central Bank of Myanmar this week issued remittance licenses to two companies in Myanmar and a small enterprise said it will start exporting roselle tea to the US.