H&M ceases activities in Myanmar

Nfter reports of human rights violations in textile factories in Myanmar, the Swedish fashion chain H&M wants to withdraw from the Southeast Asian country. In Myanmar, it is becoming increasingly difficult to work according to one’s own “standards and requirements,” the company said on Friday. Therefore, the fashion chain decided to gradually discontinue its activities.

The British human rights organization Business and Human Rights Center (BHRRC) documented more than 150 cases of alleged labor and human rights violations in textile factories in a report published this week for the period from February 2022 to February 2023. In the same period last year, the number was 56.

This involves 124 different factories. According to the report, wage cuts and wage theft were the most commonly reported offences. BHRRC said the organization relied on sources such as union leaders, international and local media such as Myanmar Labor News in the cases mentioned. She tries to verify the reports by consulting companies and interviewing workers

According to its own information, H&M does not operate its own textile factories in Myanmar, but purchases the products from 26 suppliers with a total of 39 factories. Of all cases registered by the British NGO since February 2021, 20 were related to suppliers of the Swedish fashion company.

The Southeast Asian country has been wracked by violence since the military seized power and toppled the democratic government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Numerous international companies have since left Myanmar.