A coalition of 361 civil society organizations (CSOs) sent an open letter on Wednesday to the government of the Netherlands, where the aerospace company Airbus is headquartered, to investigate the company’s ties to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The CSOs added that Airbus is a key investor and partner of AVIC.
This follows a request made by 343 CSOs to the governments of France, Germany and Spain, which are all shareholders in Airbus, to stop the transfer of aircrafts by AVIC to the regime in Naypyidaw or to divest completely from the company on Jan. 21.
“The Chinese state-owned AVIC has not yet directly carried out aerial bombings in Myanmar. However, AVIC directly sells and supports aircraft, arms, and technologies to the junta to continue airstrikes on civilians,” said a spokesperson for the Blood Money Campaign (BMC).
The BMC is a coalition of anti-coup activists raising awareness about the indiscriminate use of airstrikes by the regime in Myanmar, which seized power in Naypyidaw after the coup. It is calling on businesses and governments to cut ties with the regime.
AVIC’s subsidiary AviChina and Airbus jointly produce K-8 trainer and Y-12 multipurpose aircraft, both frequently used by the Myanmar Air Force to carry out airstrikes on civilians, according to the CSOs.
In its report “Close the Sky” on Jan. 9, the BMC documented that 2,257 civilians have been killed by airstrikes from Feb. 1, 2021 up to November 2024. It’s also calling for a global arms embargo on the regime, following the one imposed by the E.U.
