...Following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, we are very concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country. Since then, we have been in regular contact with our producer, to closely monitor the situation in the factory and to exercise human rights due diligence to ensure that the human rights of the factory workers are respected...

Hunkemöller have been working with the management team of Myanmar Efforts Garments for many years. We have a strong, long-standing relationship which allows us to interact in an open and honest manner. Because the Myanmar Efforts Garments factory is situated in a remote area of Myanmar, many of the 1000+ workers depend on our orders for their livelihood. We therefore felt it was our duty and responsibility to continue to do business in this country. We are taken aback by the writing from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre regarding reports of alleged labour and human rights abuses of garment workers in the Myanmar Efforts factory. For us, the safety and welfare of every individual who makes products for Hunkemöller is paramount - as are their rights and freedoms. After receiving the communication, our CSR specialists immediately started investigating these allegations and already requested further information and documentation from the supplier. Through mutual engagement and dialogue, we hope to develop a shared understanding of the allegations made, find solutions, provide remediation where necessary and empower factory management and workers to make the textile industry more responsible. To further assist our investigation, we kindly request the report's authors - in strict confidence - to share the findings of their research with us to help us pursue any remediation required...

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