A/HRC/42/CRP.3 International,280 Kirin Holdings Pte Ltd. issued a response which demonstrated its sensitivity to external scrutiny by taking measures to influence MEHL, their joint venture partner, by announcing a 6-step action plan.281 118. The first fundraising ceremony was held one week after the “clearance operations” began on 25 August 2017. On 1 September 2017 Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presided over a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw, calling for “cash donations for security personnel and State service personnel who risked their lives while shouldering national defence and security duties and ethnic natives who fled their homes due to brutal attacks of ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists”.282 During the ceremony, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing justified the actions of the Tatmadaw in northern Rakhine through a false narrative that treated all Rohingya as murderous invaders, stating that “absolutely, our country has no Rohingya race”.283 He stated that the “Bengali problem was a long-standing one which has become an unfinished job”. 284 In the presence of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice Senior General Soe Win, Union Ministers LieutenantGeneral Sein Win and Lieutenant-General Ye Aung, Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Mya Tun Oo, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Khin Aung Myint and other senior military officers, parliamentary representatives, Yangon Region Minister for Rakhine Ethnic Affairs U Zaw Aye Maung, and members of the Arakan National Party, the Commander-in-Chief and other high-ranking members of the Tatmadaw accepted donations from businesses, foundations of conglomerates, and the families of Tatmadaw leaders, including MEHL and its partner businesses.285 119. On 10 September 2017, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing held a second ceremony soliciting cash donations at Command Headquarters in Yangon, where he also called for donations for border fencing.286 He and other high-ranking members of the Tatmadaw then 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 42 Amnesty International, “Japan: Investigate brewer Kirin over payment to Myanmar military amid ethnic cleansing of Rohingya,” 14 June 2018 (https://www.amnesty.org/en/pressreleases/2018/06/japan-investigate-brewer-kirin-over-payments-to-myanmar-military-amid-ethniccleansing-of-rohingya/). Kirin, “The Progress Updates Concerning The Letter from Amnesty International,” 14 December 2018 (https://www.kirinholdings.co.jp/english/news/2018/1214_01.html). Official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, “Entire government institutions and people must defend the country with strong patriotism,” 2 September 2017 (https://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaing.com.mm/en/345/entire-governmentinstitutions-and-people-must-defend-the-country-with-strong-patriotism/) Although the border fence is not explicitly mentioned in the report on the official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, because of the wording in a banner hung during the second ceremony, it may be inferred that the fence was mentioned during this first ceremony. A translation of the banner is as follows: “Second ceremony to present cash and kind to Security forces, departmental staff who risked their lives for national security and defence duties in Rakhine State, and the displaced natives who had to leave their homes due to the violent attacks of the ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists; and to erect the border fence.” (http://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaing.com/2017/09/cash-donations-will-be-used-inareas.html?view=mosaic). Official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, “Entire government institutions and people must defend the country with strong patriotism,” 2 September 2017 (https://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaing.com.mm/en/345/entire-governmentinstitutions-and-people-must-defend-the-country-with-strong-patriotism/). Official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, “Entire government institutions and people must defend the country with strong patriotism,” 2 September 2017 (https://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaing.com.mm/en/345/entire-governmentinstitutions-and-people-must-defend-the-country-with-strong-patriotism/). Official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, “Entire government institutions and people must defend the country with strong patriotism,” 2 September 2017 (https://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaing.com.mm/en/345/entire-governmentinstitutions-and-people-must-defend-the-country-with-strong-patriotism/). Official website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, “Lack of country-loving spirits may lead to disunity and all citizens should have country-loving spirits, patriotic spirits and Myanmar spirits,” 11 September 2017