British American Tobacco 'frustration' at Burma calls

A News item from Business Respect, Issue Number 61, dated 30 Jul 2003

British American Tobacco has launched its second corporate social responsibility report and its chairman Martin Broughton took the opportunity to express 'frustration' with the UK government's urging of the company to withdraw from Burma.

The company, which pulled off a significant coup with its first CSR report in being awarded ACCA's 'Best First Time Reporter' award, has been under considerable pressure as the last UK company to retain a presence in Burma since the arrest and detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Martin Broughton said that the company was still considering a formal request by the government for the company to withdraw, but believed that this was a matter for the government to decide. It was not, he suggested, for the government to refrain from putting in place sanctions against Burma but to then call for companies to take action instead.

Companies were responsible for human rights in the workplace and within their field of operations - matters of 'wider human rights' were a matter for governments.

The company's report, 156 pages long, covers all aspects of the company's approach to product responsibility, supply chain management, environment and workplace. It uncovers the company's broad framework for corporate social responsibility, which was produced in collaboration with the Institute for Business Ethics.

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