Page 6 - AsianOil Week 21 2021

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PTT unlikely to bow to

pressure over Myanmar

Thailand’s state-owned major is facing calls from Human Rights Watch to quit Myanmar over
rights abuses there, but the major is unlikely to listen given the Southeast Asian nations’ ties

COMMENTARY AN international non-government organisation Not only does the state-owned company have
(NGO) is quietly pushing for Thailand’s state- commercial and strategic ties to the neighbour-
owned PTT to begin facing penalties over its ties ing country, but Thailand’s military staged its
WHAT: to Myanmar’s military government. own coup in 2014 and has shown little desire to
The NGO wants PTT Human Rights Watch, a New York-based relinquish power.
to stop investing in NGO, called on PTT on May 25 to cut ties with Given that Human Rights Watch’s calls for
Myanmar until a new Myanmar, where the company is heavily invested PTT to quit Myanmar will likely fall on deaf
government has been in a number of energy projects. The NGO said ears, the NGO has also begun pushing for the
democratically elected. PTT not only paid $500mn per year to “jun- international community to force PTT’s hand on
ta-controlled enterprises”, but that the company the matter.
WHY: was actively looking to expand its involvement in
The Myanmar regime the country’s energy projects. Pushing PTT
stands accused of Myanmar’s military seized power on Febru- Human Rights Watch called on PTT to end
killing hundreds of pro- ary 1 and has since drawn international condem- its ties with the military government and halt
democracy protesters. nation over its violent response to nationwide investment in the country until a democratically
pro-democracy protests. The NGO said secu- elected government was in power. If PTT failed
WHAT NEXT: rity forces had killed more than 820 people and to do so, the NGO urged foreign governments
Thailand is unlikely to detained around 4,300 activists, journalists, civil to “adopt measures to block direct or indirect
distance itself overly from servants and politicians since the democrati- payments to the State Administration Council
Myanmar, given its own cally elected government was ousted nearly four (SAC) junta from oil and gas projects operated
military coup in 2014. months ago. by PTT and other companies”.
Yet despite several high-profile international Human Rights Watch has also asked S&P
oil companies (IOCs) bowing to mounting pres- Dow Jones Indices to consider removing the
sure to quit Myanmar, PTT is unlikely to follow Thai major from the Dow Jones Sustainability
suit. Indices.

Thousands of protesters participate in an anti-junta rally in Yangon.
Image: VOA Burmese

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