“Corporate Accountability and Transitional Justice in Myanmar”, 7 Mar 2016

On 1 February 2016 Myanmar convened its first democratically elected parliament after five decades of military rule.  Given the role that resource control played in the conflict, addressing corporate accountability in transitional justice mechanisms is critical to breaking down impunity, addressing causes of conflict, and achieving sustainable transition and economic development. But both transitional justice and corporate accountability, which comprises measures to hold companies responsible for human rights abuses, are not on the political agenda. As economic growth is set as a priority, anything that could scare investment away, including discussions on corporate accountability, is regarded with great apprehension. But economic development and corporate accountability should not be framed as a trade-off…