Deutsche Post targeted over Burma link

Deutsche Post’s UK postal ambitions could be damaged by its DHL subsidiary’s joint venture with Burma’s military dictatorship.

The Burma Campaign UK today warned that it will launch a vigorous campaign to oppose Deutsche Post’s entry into the UK postal market. Deutsche Post is hoping to capture lucrative parts of the British postal market when it is opened to competition. Deutsche Post subsidiary DHL is in a joint venture with Burma’s military dictatorship.

“Deutsche Post is going to face a rough ride in the UK as long as they continue their business relationship with Burma’s dictatorship’, said John Jackson, Director of the Burma Campaign UK. “We want Deutsche Post to make its DHL subsidiary either pull out of Burma, or end its joint venture with the dictatorship. We anticipate that there will be widespread public and political support for this campaign.”

The Burma Campaign UK has a successful track record of forcing companies out of Burma through high profile public campaigns. In the past year it has persuaded more than a dozen companies to end their involvement in Burma, including British American Tobacco, WPP, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Carnival Cruises.

DHL’s partner in Burma is the regime-owned enterprise, Myanma Post and Telecomms. The joint venture began on 1st January 1997. It was a five-year contract. In 2002 DHL signed a new five-year contract with the regime. In 1998 the regime expelled Fed Ex, UPS, TNT and other parcel carriers. Only DHL was spared. Rivals and observers speculated that the reason was to increase revenue for the regime, as none of the other operators were in joint ventures.

The Burma Campaign UK will also be lobbying investors in Deutsche Post to pressure the company to end the joint venture, and asking the British government to consider whether Deutsche Post is a fit company to enter such a crucial UK industry. The British government has repeatedly called on companies not to trade with or invest in Burma.

For more information contact Mark Farmaner, Media Officer, on 020 7324 4713

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