Less than three weeks after the people of Myanmar courageously protested against the military junta in a silent strike on February 1, 2023, the US Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Myanmar is holding a golf tournament in Yangon on February 18.
More than anything else this symbolizes a return to “business as usual” and a callous disregard for the brutal suppression of the freedom and human rights of the Myanmar people. A return to golf courses with the business cronies of the military indicates that the international business community is once again acting with impunity.
Coca-Cola, Pan Pacific, ParkRoyal and The Pizza Company were listed as in-kind sponsors for the golf tournament on February 18, 2023. On February 8 the images of sponsors’ logos were removed from the AmCham website but still appeared on its events page.
On February 1, 2023, Justice for Myanmar published a detailed investigation of 22 international oil field services companies supporting the military junta’s oil and gas industry. This includes companies from the US, Switzerland, Japan, the UK and Ireland.