Justice For Myanmar condemns FIFA for awarding World Cup rights to junta-Linked Mytel

Mizzima

On 12 June, Justice For Myanmar condemned FIFA’s decision to award World Cup media rights to Mytel, a telecommunications operator partially owned by the sanctioned Myanmar military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), calling the move a disregard for human rights and due diligence.

The telecoms operator Mytel is a lucrative source of revenue for the brutal and illegal military junta. It is partially owned and effectively controlled by the sanctioned Myanmar military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC).

FIFA, the international governing body for football that is responsible for organising the World Cup, is once again demonstrating an unacceptable lack of due diligence and a total disregard for human rights, while whitewashing a brand that is tainted by blood and corruption.

Mytel’s profit projections, analysed by Justice For Myanmar, suggest that the Myanmar military’s shareholding could yield it US$270 million in Mytel’s fifth to ninth years of operation and a further US$450 million in the five years after that, a major windfall for the military and top generals.

By financing the Myanmar military and facilitating its digital surveillance, Mytel is aiding and abetting the military’s continuing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mytel has been targeted for export restrictions by the US Department of Commerce for its surveillance and financial support for the junta, while its parent company MEC is sanctioned by the USA, UK, EU, Canada and Australia.

FIFA’s business with Mytel follows its absurd and deplorable decision to appoint the military crony and Max Myanmar owner Zaw Zaw as head of its social responsibility committee.

For providing the military with financial support for genocide against the Rohingya, the UN Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar concluded in 2019 that “officials from […] Max Myanmar should be criminally investigated and, if appropriate, prosecuted for making a substantial and direct contribution to the commission of the crime against humanity of “other inhumane acts” and persecution as outlined above in the applicable legal framework on business officials and criminal liability.”

FIFA must stop aligning with the military junta and its cronies, and actually live up to its stated human rights commitments and international responsibilities.