5/23/22, 1:14 AM
SOMO representing 474 Myanmar CSOs vs. Telenor ASA - OECD Watch
Myanmar to M1 Group, including the Myanmar-based civil society organisations endorsing the complaint.
3. Telenor has not been transparent in relation to its decision to disengage from its Myanmar operations.
Telenor’s sale to M1 Group comes after the Myanmar military’s 1 February 2021 coup and brutal crackdown on
peaceful protests, civil society and independent media, as well as heightened electronic surveillance. Civil
society members involved with the complaint have explained their need for responsible telecommunications
businesses that will push back, rather than collude, with repression by the authoritarian government. M1 Group
is owned by the billionaire Mikati family, who have a history of business in authoritarian countries including
Syria, Sudan and Yemen and face unresolved allegations of corruption and terrorist financing. The
complainants do not trust that M1 Group will uphold their human rights responsibilities or do business with
integrity.
Relevant OECD Guidelines
Chapter II (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-ii/)
Chapter II Paragraph A10 (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-ii-paragraph-a10/)
Chapter II Paragraph A14 (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-ii-paragraph-a14/)
Chapter III (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iii/)
Chapter III Paragraph 1 (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iii-paragraph-1/)
Chapter III Paragraph 2 f (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iii-paragraph-2-f/)
Chapter IV (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iv/)
Chapter IV Paragraph 1 (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iv-paragraph-1/)
Chapter IV Paragraph 5 (https://www.oecdwatch.org/guideline/chapter-iv-paragraph-5/)
Outcome
On 27 September the Norwegian NCP issued an initial assessment accepting the complaint for good offices.
More details
Defendant
Telenor (https://www.oecdwatch.org/complaints-database/?
fwp_oecd_complaint_company=telenor)
Company in violation
Telenor (https://www.oecdwatch.org/complaints-database/?
fwp_oecd_complaint_company=telenor)
Complainants
Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) (https://www.oecdwatch.org/complaintsdatabase/?fwp_oecd_complaint_complainant=centre-for-research-on-multinational-corporationssomo)
Affected people
Public (https://www.oecdwatch.org/complaints-database/?
fwp_oecd_complaint_affected_people=public)
Documents
https://www.oecdwatch.org/complaint/somo-representing-474-myanmar-csos-vs-telenor-asa/
2/3