A Myanmar civil society organization has filed a complaint with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on April 9 against European aviation company Airbus regarding its business relationships with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which continues to supply military aircraft, weapons, and technical assistance to the Myanmar military. The complaint, filed with OECD’s National Contact Point in Amsterdam, Netherlands, highlights Airbus’s lack of action regarding AVIC’s ongoing support to Myanmar’s military. The identity of the civil society organization filing the complaint has been withheld for security reasons.
The complaint follows a September 2024 report by Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie that identified AVIC as a primary supplier of combat aircraft and other military aircraft to Myanmar’s military. Since the 2021 military coup, the Myanmar military has conducted airstrikes throughout the country, including civilian areas, with the UN Special Rapporteur reporting in June 2024 that airstrikes against civilians had increased fivefold within six months. The complaint details that Airbus has investments in Hong Kong-registered AviChina Industry & Technology Company and maintains numerous joint operations with AVIC companies across China.
According to the complaint, AviChina has supplied the Myanmar military with K-8 fighter aircraft and Y-12 military transport and multipurpose aircraft, as documented in the company’s 2023 annual report. The complaint argues that Airbus has failed to meet its international human rights obligations in its business cooperation with AVIC. The Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) officials suggest that Airbus should pressure AVIC and AviChina to cease selling military equipment and providing technical assistance to Myanmar’s military, and if unsuccessful, should terminate its business relationships with AVIC.
Myanmar activists emphasize that the military regime’s ability to continue committing human rights violations with impunity is directly linked to its continued access to military equipment from foreign partners like AVIC. The complaint underscores that Airbus’s responsibility is not diminished by the fact that it does not directly transfer military equipment to the regime or lacks full control over AVIC and AviChina. After more than four years since the attempted military coup, the Myanmar military continues to commit severe human rights violations without consequences, largely enabled by its continued access to fighter aircraft, maintenance services, and weapons from foreign partners like AVIC.
