A report released on 30 March by the Australian Centre for International Justice revealed Adani has paid over $US50 million to the military-aligned Myanmar Economic Corporation to lease land for its Yangon International Terminal. It also revealed that, though Adani last month denied ever having dealings with the Myanmar military, there is video footage of chief executive Karan Adani meeting and exchanging gifts with top general and accused war criminal Min Aung Hlaing.
Protesting Adani’s links to the violent military regime, which recently deposed its democratically elected government and leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup and who have been violently suppressing unarmed protestors, environmental activists staged a picket outside Adani’s Abbott Point coal terminal on 31 March.
‘The military regime overthrew the democratically elected Myanmar government in a coup on 8 February,’ said the protest group Frontline Action on Coal in a press release.
‘Since then the military has killed over 500 protesters, including over 100 last weekend. The US government last week became the latest international organisation to announce boycotts and sanctions against the regime.’
Frontline Action on Coal spokesperson Andy Paine said ‘this should come as no surprise to those who have been following Adani’s operations in India or Australia. In both places they have been criticised for abusing the human rights of indigenous people and for consistently lying to the public.
‘Adani tries to paint itself as a good corporate citizen, but this once again shows them for what they are: a company that will put its profits ahead of all other considerations. That’s why people of conscience are opposing Adani’s projects from India to Australia. That’s why over 90 corporations have ruled out working on the Carmichael mine. That’s why Adani are ashamed to use their own name, instead engaging in ludicrous rebranding exercises.
‘If Adani are serious about democracy and human rights, they should immediately pull out of their port in Yangon. And the Australian people should demand an end to Adani’s destructive Carmichael mine – to support those struggling for democracy in Myanmar, and to stop our climate becoming the latest thing sacrificed for Adani’s profits.’
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