by Erika Yost on May 14, 2009
Recently the Burma Campaign UK, a group that works for the promotion of human rights, democracy and development in Burma, announced a major victory. QBE Insurance has announced it has cancelled insurance it provided to Burma and is to cease providing insurance to companies operating in the country. QBE is the largest managing agent at Lloyd’s of London and describes itself as “Australia’s largest international general insurance and reinsurance group”.
In a statement to the Burma Campaign UK, Frank O’Halloran, QBE’s Chief Executive said: “QBE has reviewed its various portfolios around the world and has cancelled the few incidental Burmese exposures on multinational insurance policies which could have a direct or indirect benefit for the current ruling party in Burma… QBE does not provide insurance for any business owned in Burma.”
“Foreign insurers provide a financial lifeline to Burma’s brutal regime. They insure the projects that make the regime billions of dollars a year. These billions don’t help the people of Burma, they entrench military rule and fund campaigns of ethnic cleansing in Eastern Burma” said Johnny Chatterton, Campaigns Officer at the Burma Campaign UK. “QBE’s welcome decision shames insurers like Catlin and Atrium that continue to help fund the Burmese regime.”
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by Rob Kellogg on March 3, 2009
According to Mizzima News, several Burma campaign groups from 13 European countries have urged the EU to strengthen its policy of sanctions on Burma and to pressure the military junta to release all political prisoners.
Zoya Phan, International Coordinator of Burma Campaign UK, who attended a Burma Campaign Meeting in Barcelona over the weekend, said the group has called on the EU to strengthen its policies on Burma. “We will call on the EU to impose sanctions against the regime by initiating a global arms embargo, financial transaction and in gas and oil sectors,” Zoya Phan said on Monday.
The campaigners also urged the EU to exert more pressure on the Burmese military junta to release political prisoners including Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and to expedite political reforms and to improve the human rights situation in the country.
Back in January, the group urged the British government to investigate UK registered insurance companies to check whether they have committed financial crimes by bribing the Burmese military junta. Financial companies cited were Lloyd’s of London companies, QBE, Hannover Re, Sompo Japan, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, ACE Group, Labuan Re, OCBC Bank, Pana Harrison, Target Insurance Brokers and Al Wasl.
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