Benetton says suspending new orders in Myanmar

Benetton on Friday announced the suspension of new orders in Myanmar, where the military authorities are cracking down with increasing severity on daily protests against their February 1 coup.

The Italian clothing group's announcement follows a similar one from Sweden's H&M, which suspended new orders on Monday.

"Benetton Group expresses its deepest concerns over the events in Myanmar," it said in a statement.

"The situation presents so many safety issues and violations of rights and freedom that we have decided to suspend all new orders to the country."

CEO Massimo Renon said in the statement that the company "has been a standard-bearer for fundamental values such as inclusiveness, integration, and non-violence".

He said the suspension was intended "to send a strong and concrete signal".

At least 70 people have been killed since the coup, according to the UN's top rights expert on the country.

Before the coup, Myanmar's garment industry was booming thanks to an influx of investments from international fashion brands.

Labels such as GAP, H&M, Primark and Adidas had shifted production to Myanmar factories, and locally-manufactured clothing, footwear and handbags were worth three percent to the country's gross domestic product.