YANGON: Japan beer giant Kirin says it is investigating whether donations for “humanitarian” work in Myanmar’s Rakhine state ended up in the pockets of security forces accused of driving out Rohingya Muslims. The donations were made just days after Rohingya militants launched attacks on police posts in August last year. Kirin told Agence France-Presse that Myanmar Brewery made three separate donations to authorities between September 1 and October 3 last year “on the condition” they were used for humanitarian aid. One of the world’s largest beverage companies, Kirin bought a 55 percent stake in Myanmar Brewery in 2015, with the remainder owned by Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, a company with strong links to the military. Kirin said it had launched a human rights impact assessment for Myanmar Brewery in May, but that it was not related to Amnesty’s queries.

Source: Manila Times June 15, 2018 17:15 UTC