Nestle says, “The impact that we have locally has the potential to be felt internationally; the ideas that you bring to life today could shape our future”. I couldn’t agree more. The impact Nestle has internationally can also, of course, be felt locally. Nearly half the entire Rohingya population in Rakhine state has been either […]
Tag: Myanmar
The necessity of the moral corporate voice
From a Public Relations perspective, I can’t think of an easier way for a company to show its humanity than by condemning genocide and endorsing recommendations for a peaceful resolution in Myanmar. The United Nations, the official body representing international consensus has already characterised the situation in Rakhine state as a “textbook example of ethnic […]
Teach a man to fish, then kill him
Something to consider… Oil and gas companies are increasingly interested in exploration off the coast of Rakhine state. Companies like Woodside Energy, Shell, Total, and Chevron are already operating several fields offshore, and are confident that more discoveries are likely following the biggest natural gas discovery of 2016 off the coast of Rakhine. These operations, and the […]
The role of history in the Rohingya genocide
What this article provide you with: A very good historical background on the ethnic and religious enmities in Myanmar What this article does not do: Refute the argument that economic interests are driving the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine state. There is nothing reductionist about explaining the conflict in terms of economics. If you think it IS reductionist, […]
Using corporate logic for social change
It is not really viable for society to impose accountability on some powerful institutions and not on others. That is the basic issue with corporations. But the onus of responsibility for imposing accountability, of course, is not going to fall upon the institutions themselves; it has to be undertaken by the people. Just as it […]
Corporate giants affirming support for Rohingya
An ongoing military operation in Rakhine state which the government claims targets militants, but which has caused at least 30% of the Rohingya civilian population to flee the country, and left possibly thousands dead; is raising ethical questions about foreign investment in a country accused of committing genocide. The #WeAreAllRohingyaNow Campaign, an initiative by independent […]
Corporate Social Responsibility and Genocide
On August 25th, 2017, the government of Myanmar launched a large-scale military operation in Rakhine state ostensibly to combat a small group of Rohingya militants. By all accounts, however, the Rohingya civilian population has suffered what amounts to collective punishment as the army pursues a scorched earth policy throughout the area; burning entire villages, and […]
Repressive “Peace” and Investor Security in Myanmar
The situation in Rakhine state is deteriorating rapidly and all signs indicate that a new pogrom against the Rohingya is imminent. United Nations fact-finding investigators have been banned from the country. The army has deployed heavy artillery, armored cars and helicopters, for “clearance operations” in Northern Rakhine, and there is speculation that Buddhist civilians will […]
Armed Struggle and Common Sense
In certain situations and under certain conditions, armed struggle is sanctioned by both Islamic and International Law. No one can rationally be opposed to armed struggle when these conditions are met, though there are those who may oppose armed struggle in principle; that is a moral argument, not a rational one. The conditions for the […]
Brutal Profitability in Myanmar
The problem in Arakan for the regime is the Rakhine, not the Rohingya. The Rohingya are what the regime is using to divert the growing hostility of the Rakhine; the majority population in a resource-rich state with the second-longest coastline in the country, who want to control their own natural resources, and who have a history of secessionist […]