Investor Statement on Human Rights and Business Activities In Myanmar

The  military coup in Myanmar this February has persisted with deaths and detention of protestors, and in conjunction with the military’s ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya community, has led to international condemnation and sanctions and charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

For multinational enterprises that continue to operate in Myanmar either directly or through business relationships, this poses significant risks.

As long-term investors we believe ESG issues can have a significant impact on corporate financial performance and on the value of our investments. Consequently, we actively seek to understand how companies address certain ESG factors and are concerned about our exposure to companies with direct business activities or business relationships in Myanmar. 

Through an Investor Statement on Human Rights and Business Activities in Myanmar, 86 investors and their representatives with more than 4 trillion USD in combined assets under management or advisement are calling on companies to uphold their corporate responsibility to respect human rights by undertaking enhanced due diligence to identify and address human rights harms and in so doing, mitigate legal, financial, and reputational risks associated with such violations.