The civilian National Unity Government (NUG) on 29 January blacklisted 64 members of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) for cooperating with the State Administration Council (SAC).
The NUG had earlier announced in December that it had symbolically dissolved the organisation as it says its activities help to sustain the SAC and that it had failed to protect the public interest.
The full list can be found here and high-profile names on the blacklist include:
- UMFCCI chair U Aye Win
- Myanmar Rice Federation chair U Ye Min Aung
- KMD Group of Companies founder and former deputy communication and technology minister under the Thein Sein administration U Thaung Tin
- Myanmar Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Association chair U Aye Tun
- Daw Khine Khine Nwe, the first-ever female UMFCCI secretary
- Energy and military equipment businessman U Zeya Thura Mon
- Asian Fame Media Group CEO Daw Nan Kalyar Win. The group operates the Popular News outlet.
The NUG stated that those blacklisted can submit a petition to the NUG within 90 days to be removed, depending on whether they could demonstrate severed links to the UMFCCI or from activities that directly or indirectly help to sustain the SAC.
The shadow government further stated that it would treat business owners who continue to participate in the UMFCCI as SAC supporters and warned against using the federation’s assets and funds to benefit the SAC.
In September 2023, the NUG also announced the dissolution of the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association. The shadow government said its activities propped up the SAC with tax revenue.
Forty-three members of the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association were blacklisted by the NUG in early December of last year.
In June 2021, when the NUG set out its business policy position, it took a dual approach to businesses depending on their nationwide coverage and fixed assets, while also taking into account how business operations related to the public’s livelihoods.
In its position, the NUG indicated it would not take a hard stance against companies that serve the public interest, such as telecommunications companies, as they had little choice but to comply with SAC directives and that halting their services would negatively impact livelihoods.
However, for companies whose operations require less investment in fixed assets, such as trading companies, the NUG takes a harder approach and asks them to stop paying taxes or supporting the SAC by other means.
The blacklisting of the UMFCCI could have various impacts, although the scale of these impacts is unclear and debated. Previous NUG blacklistings have inspired consumer boycotts, while also giving a clear signal to foreign investors that partnering with blacklisted individuals or businesses risks reputational damage.
