The significant increase of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Myanmar over the past decade has been accompanied by numerous human rights violations that have directly stemmed from the operations of businesses operating in the country.
Investment and infrastructure projects, many of which conducted through joint ventures between state or privately-owned Burmese companies and foreign businesses, have often resulted in violations of economic, social, and cultural rights of local communities. In many cases, such violations were directly linked to environmental degradation and pollution caused by the projects.
While the nature, size, and impact of these projects vary, they are often characterized by the presence of certain elements that have resulted in human rights violations of individuals and communities affected by the implementation of the projects. These elements can be summarized as follows: 1) failure to engage in meaningful and adequate consultation with affected communities during the design and implementation stages of the projects; 2) violations of relevant domestic laws and lack of compliance with international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; 3) insufficient compensation measures and lack of effective redress mechanisms at the domestic level; 4) use of repressive laws to silence and punish human rights defenders - including land and environmental rights defenders - and community members who documented the negative impacts of these projects and advocated for redress.
Read the joint FIDH-MATA submission.