Western Union 'cuts ties' with Myanmar military's bank

A leading global money transfer service Western Union has stopped using a military-owned bank as one of its agents in Myanmar, rights groups said.

Western Union is one among the most recognizable names on the Dirty List of the international companies for doing business with military in Myanmar.
The list was published by two rights campaign groups -- Burma Campaign UK and International Campaign for the Rohingya -- in December 2018.

In an e-mail to Burma Campaign UK on Wednesday, Western Union said it has ended contract with Myawaddy Bank, a subsidiary of military business conglomerate Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (UMEHL), with immediate effect, said a joint statement by the advocacy groups.

Western Union could not be reached for a comment, but an official at Myawaddy Bank confirmed the development to Anadolu Agency.

"Western Union services are no longer available from our bank. It is Western Union's decision to end the contract," the official told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The campaign groups said that Western Union has now been removed from the Dirty List.

Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said that Western Union is the biggest company so far to end a business relationship with a military-owned company.

"This move will put more pressure on other companies to also stop doing business with the military," he told Anadolu Agency via email.

"Companies doing business with the military are helping to pay for genocide of the Rohingya and other human rights violations," he added.

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