Justice For Myanmar (JFM) has declared a major victory as European aviation giant Airbus withdrew its investments from Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese state-owned company that has been selling aircraft and weapons to the Myanmar military. This withdrawal came after significant pressure from civil society organizations, strike committees, trade unions, and individuals worldwide who demanded an end to business activities supporting the Myanmar military junta.
AVIC is a Chinese state-owned company that consistently supplies military equipment to the Myanmar military junta, including combat aircraft used in airstrikes. The military junta continues to use weapons obtained from AVIC and its partner countries to attack civilians, including children, while targeting schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and religious buildings. AVIC and its subsidiaries have been fueling these brutal attacks through their continued support of the military regime.
China remains the primary supplier of military equipment, dual-use items, technology, and training to the Myanmar military. JFM has urged Airbus to take further action and use its remaining influence over AVIC to cut off all support to the Myanmar military, or alternatively, to completely cease all business operations with AVIC. While JFM acknowledges this divestment as a significant victory, they emphasize that the battle is not over.
The campaign against Airbus’s involvement included various international actions: Danish pension funds raised questions with Airbus Holdings, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre sent inquiries to both Airbus and AVIC-related companies, and Facing Finance highlighted these issues alongside German financial institutions. Protest actions took place in London, Amsterdam, and within Myanmar itself, where strike committees and civilians demanded an end to profiting from violence and the supply of AVIC aircraft to the military junta. This coordinated international pressure ultimately contributed to Airbus’s decision to withdraw its investments from AVIC, marking a significant step in the ongoing effort to isolate the Myanmar military regime from its international supporters.
