Toyota has announced that production has begun at a plant in Myanmar, following a decision to suspend the opening of the new plant for more than 19 months due to a military coup in the country and the coronavirus pandemic.
The Japanese automaker said the plant, had begun to assemble one or two Hilux trucks per day, working from parts kits shipped to Myanmar in September.
Toyota’s decision to press forward with operations in the country has been controversial, with a number of other companies having pulled out of the country due to the coup and alleged human rights abuses that have followed.
A statement from the firm faced criticism for playing down the situation in the country.
“We believe this meets our initial intention to contribute to the industrial development of Myanmar … and to support our employees and their families’ lives,” Toyota said.
“Under these circumstances, we are continuously making every effort to comply with all relevant laws and regulations.”
Rights groups have called on multinationals like Toyota to refrain from doing business in the country that is likely to benefit the military regime, who face accusations of unlawful killing and torture.
“Toyota should certainly refrain from doing business with Myanmar military owned conglomerates … as well as their subsidiaries,” said Teppei Kasai from advocacy group Human Rights Watch.
In a separate statement Toyota said that its research indicated its business in Myanmar was not directly related to state-owned and military-affiliated companies “in all processes of the car life cycle.”
The plant had been due to open in February 2021, but was put on hold when the military seized power to stop former leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy forming a new government.