Esprit cuts Myanmar ties amidst military violations

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Clothing brand Esprit says it will no longer source from an apparel factory located in an industrial park linked to Myanmar’s military in a recent United Nations report, while other brands, including H&M and Bestseller, say they will look into the situation.

“Esprit will be taking immediate action by stopping all future orders made to the Perfect Gains factory in Myanmar,” the fashion brand told Nikkei Asian Review, saying it was previously unaware of the military link. The company said will “continue to closely monitor this concerning situation”.

A UN fact-finding mission report on Myanmar, which detailed the country’s use of its “foreign companies and arms deals to support brutal operations against ethnic groups that constitute serious crimes under international law, bypassing civilian oversight and evading accountability”, urges all foreign companies to scrutinise any business they conduct in the country to avoid ties to the military.

For the full story, see the October 2019 edition of Textiles South East Asia. Not a subscriber? Sign up HERE


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