While Buddhist monks led a peaceful protest on Sunday against a TIME magazine article which offended many Buddhists, the same sentiment cannot be reserved for an international telecommunications firm just because it is based in the Middle East.

Many citizens in Myanmar are fearful or confused about the nationalistic surge which has vented its anger on the Muslim minority. However, the call for a boycott of Ooredoo is nothing but reckless stupidity and bigotry.

Ooredoo is a company of proven track record; it has large mobile phone operations in Singapore, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines and Pakistan. In bidding for a telecommunications contract in Myanmar it has pledged to invest some US $15 billion and roll out a 3G network which will, within a few years, reach 90 percent of the Myanmar population.

Of course the firm is here to make money—a lot of money. But before it reaps this untapped market, it must first invest in a massive project of infrastructure and logistics, installing everything from transmitters to optic fibers across the country. Ooredoo’s investment will create jobs, not only in the telecoms industry, but also in sales, construction and transport.

If I were the CEO of Ooredoo and I heard that a movement was growing to boycott our products, I would be very hesitant. Perhaps, if Myanmar doesn’t want our $15 billion investment, we should look elsewhere?

Myanmar does need this investment. It needs the networks, the jobs and the infrastructure that Ooredoo will provide. Let’s show some hospitality and stamp down on this boycott notion before it undermines the whole reform process.