'Dramatic journey' ahead for Myanmar

Puvan Selvanathan, who chairs the UN Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises yesterday applauded the decision by the United States to lift sanctions on Myanmar, saying it would start a dramatic economic journey for the once-closed nation. But he urged businesses to act responsibly with fair contracts, transparency and respect for human rights. He was speaking at a media briefing on the sidelines of a nine-day workshop on business and human rights being held this week. Called the Summer Institute in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, it is organised by the US-based War Crimes Studies Centre and East-West Centre, and hosted by SMU School of Law.