Statement concerning the Amnesty International Report dated September 10

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (President and CEO: Yoshinori Isozaki) has been engaging with Amnesty International since May 2020 and is deeply concerned by the contents of the report published by Amnesty International on 10 September 2020. Kirin takes its responsibilities in Myanmar very seriously and continues to welcome constructive dialogue on this matter with Amnesty International and other NGOs, human rights experts, and all of our valued stakeholders.

Kirin signed the joint-venture agreement with Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (“MEHPCL”) in 2015 on the condition that none of the proceeds from the joint-ventures would be used for military purposes. We have always been of the belief that through involvement in the management of Myanmar Brewery Limited and Mandalay Brewery Limited, we can contribute to efforts to address the social and environmental challenges that Myanmar faces. The matters outlined in the Amnesty International report are at odds with our commitment to human rights and the people of Myanmar, and we have shared this concern with MEHPCL.

We emphasise that it is wholly unacceptable to Kirin that any proceeds from our Myanmar joint-ventures could be used for any military purposes. That is why on 6 February 2020, we announced a review of strategic options for our operations in Myanmar and subsequently retained Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC to conduct an assessment of MEHPCL’s financial and governance structures to determine the destination of proceeds.

Any new evidence presented in the Amnesty International report will be carefully considered and form part of this assessment, which we aim to conclude by the end of this year barring any new challenges such as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the region. We have been in regular contact with MEHPCL to advance the investigation process and are making every effort to complete it as soon as possible. We are simultaneously proceeding with discussions on structural options and will take appropriate action.

Respect for human rights is fundamental to all of our business activities and we remain committed to ensuring that our operations in Myanmar are in line with the Kirin Group Human Rights Policy and adhere to the highest standards.