Emerging Chinese Colony

[absdf@xxxxxxxxxx]

Federation of Trade Union, Burma
 
 
The emerging Chinese colony.
 
The SLORC regime, inspite of the US$ 1.23 bill: earned through foreign investment during the last three years is still hard pressed for fast cash especially to feed the 300,000 military that they need tomaintain their strangle hold on the country.
 
The Bangkok Post ( 13 May 194) stated that the offshore gas importation deal from Bur7a  which involves the SLORC, the Thai Petroleum, UNOCAL and TOTAL is coming into conclusion 7ith the blessing of the Thai government.
 
On the same day , there was a repo:t on  the Sino-Thai joint  venture. This venture is an imp4ementation of the  subsidiary of  PetroAsia (Thailand),  itself a subsidiary of PetroAsia oilfirm which has  as it's objective competing with the weste9n oil ventures. This in theory isencouraging to most Asians to a certain extent. 
 
But if one goes into detail.Kit is stated that in the PetroAsia oil firm, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand holds 35%, the Charoen Pokphand Company holds 35% and China's state ?il firm Sinopec holds 30%.  Amongst these three, not only 5s China represented by Sinopec butthe CP group is lead by an expatriate ethnic Chinese and is a company which had a turnover of US$ 500 mill: in 1992 in China and is also the economic adv9sor for China in the Hong Kong market.
 
We  forsee the  workers and the tradeunions of Burma, China, Thailand getiing into a worse posi:ion in this venture. As all those involved in the PetroAsia venture have very bad workers ri7hts records,  and have records of suppressions, the FTUB i; very concerned of the consequence.HZ3 they are allowed to monopolise the Asia petroleum market, and especially with SLORC as their junior partner.
 
Due to the desperat% needs to strengthen the military, the SLORC has pulled  B5rma into a debt of 1.2 bill $US with China. The timber concessions and cross border exports b7th legally and illegally is also making the economy becomeextremely dependent upon China. At the same time, corruption among the authorities has made ?ay for flocks of Chinese to migrate into even the middle o2 Burma.
 
Togethe9 with the arms purchase debit, the offshore oil venture whZ,Zis a very huge 
pre-determined amo9nt of money will put  Burma and the future government  int7 a uncompromising position with both China and Thailand, worse if it is to be with a priva<e monopoly. like CP.
 
 
 
We are worried t4at through the stubborness of the SLORC, the vanity of theASEAN which is trying to live up to the supposed economic power and un ethnical businessme>, Burma is emerging as a  Chinese colony.  
 
We request that all the multinationals who are involved in Burma  and China and advocating the investments with dictatorial regimes study the moves of the Chinese and their front compa.ies and do their business according to the  ethics of the 2espective political principles, hu[X7 rights and trade unions rights.
 
 
 
 
 
Maung Maung
Secretary
May 17th, 1994.