" Call for Engagement to Urge Banks to Take Measures to Stop the Flow of Funds to the Myanmar Military " 30 September 2022

Dear investors,

We are civil society organizations that make policy proposals urging Japanese companies to give appropriate consideration to the environment, social impacts, and human rights in their overseas business operations. Today we are sending this call for engagement to you as one of 160 major investors in three major Japanese banks (MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Bank) that are investing or lending to projects that may benefit the Myanmar military or hold shares in Japanese companies that may be complicit in human rights violations in Myanmar, as indicated in the tables below.

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The three major Japanese banks invest in or lend to the projects listed in Table 1. In their human rights policies, the financial groups that oversee each of the banks (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mitsui Sumitomo Financial Group, and Mizuho Financial Group) state that they will follow international human rights standards and avoid being complicit in human rights violations. Further, Mitsubishi states that it urges clients to respect human rights; Sumitomo states that it strives to address negative human rights impacts associated with its business activities; and Mizuho states that it strives to perform adequate due diligence to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts associated with its business operations, using leverage where appropriate. In light of these human rights policies, the three banks must take measures as indicated below.

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