Swedish apparel giant H&M, the world’s second-largest fashion retailer, said today that Burmese authorities have stopped placing orders from Myanmar after using deadly force against protesters in a shocking move.
The United Nations (UN) said last week that Burma’s police and military had killed more than 50 people to quell daily demonstrations and strikes against the Feb. 1 military coup.
H&M’s website shows that the company has about 45 direct suppliers in Myanmar and has been sourcing from the country for seven years. According to the Myanmar Apparel Manufacturers Association, some 600 factories under the association are significant employers, providing rice bowls for about 450,000 workers in 2020.
“Despite avoiding any action on our long-term business in the country, we have stopped placing new orders with our suppliers at this juncture,” Serkan Tanka, H&M’s Myanmar regional manager, said in an email.
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