53 companies linked to Myanmar military added to 'Dirty List'

Burma Campaign UK, a UK-based organization, announced on July 20 that it has added 53 international companies to its “Dirty List” for their links to the Myanmar military, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction. Following this latest addition, the total number of companies on the “Dirty List” has reached 228. Among the companies newly added to the list are Halliburton, SLV (formerly Schlumberger), Fortinet, CISCO, Oracle, SpaceX, and Microsoft. Eighteen US companies were also added to the “Dirty List,” most of which are in the oil and gas sector and the technology sector. Burma Campaign UK stated that the large number of US companies included indicates loopholes in the US sanctions imposed on the Myanmar military. Despite current sanctions, military-owned companies can continue to use US technology, and US companies can continue to operate in Myanmar’s natural gas sector, even though the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), controlled by the military, is sanctioned, it was pointed out. The natural gas sector is a major source of revenue for the Myanmar military, Burma Campaign UK said. Companies from 17 countries are included in this list, including four companies from European Union member states and one company from the United Kingdom. It is also noted that although the EU and the UK have imposed some sanctions on the Myanmar military (military junta), no new sanctions against the military have been imposed since 2024. Among the companies newly added, 16 are technology companies and 14 are oil and gas companies. According to Burma Campaign UK, since the 2021 coup, the Myanmar military has been facing fierce resistance but continues to rely on international financial, arms, and technological assistance to maintain power. The purpose of the “Dirty List” is to pressure international companies, large and small, to cut ties with the Myanmar military, it is stated. Burma Campaign UK said that any support for the Myanmar military, which has been accused by UN investigators of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, is unacceptable. Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, said, “Companies around the world are helping the Myanmar military in various ways, including providing them with money, selling them weapons and equipment, providing them with technology, and allowing them to use their platforms for propaganda.” He continued, “No company can be linked to the Myanmar military, which is accused of genocide, and at the same time be a responsible company in terms of ethics and social responsibility.” Burma Campaign UK stated that it had sent letters to almost all companies being considered for inclusion in the “Dirty List,” giving them the opportunity to respond if the information was incorrect and to cut ties with the military. It also stated that the inclusion of companies in the “Dirty List” is based on publicly available information. Research by Burma Campaign UK has revealed that many military-owned companies in Myanmar are using US and other international technologies to operate their businesses. Mark Farmaner said of the major technology companies, “Big tech companies are becoming the new big tobacco companies of today. They are providing services to the Myanmar military without ethical standards and ignoring their human rights record.” He said that the Myanmar military conducts an average of one airstrike every two and a half hours, and it would be impossible to do so without the support of international companies providing weapons, money, and technology. Burma Campaign UK alleges that the Myanmar military is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world, having oppressed its people for decades and built an economy dominated by corruption, nepotism, and cronyism that benefits senior military leaders and their associates. It also points out that over 100,000 people have died in conflicts since the 2021 coup, there are over 14,000 political prisoners, and a humanitarian crisis has arisen due to the military's deliberate targeting. Burma Campaign UK states that there are currently about five million internally displaced people, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee the country. It is also pointed out that the military relies heavily on airstrikes to maintain power and deliberately targets hospitals, schools, and civilian villages. “It is difficult to understand how many companies are indifferent to the consequences of the assistance they provide, when the Myanmar military is causing the death of a child every 29 hours on average,” said Mark Farmaner.