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NMSP PRESS RELEASE




PRESS RELEASE

The New Mon State Party
General Headquarters

Position on the gas pipeline and ecology.

News had been afloat regarding oil and gas firms building gas pipe-
lines through the zone in Tenasserim coastal strip, Burma, under con-
trol of the New Mon State Party and Karen National Union, up in arms
for self-determination for more than four decades, resisting opression
by successive governments since independence from British in 1948.

As far as our report goes, oil and gas firms including Texaco ( N.Y.)
Total ( France ), U.S. ( mid-west ), Japan, Thailand, South Korea,
Singapore, Britain and Denmark ( drilling contract ) are involved in
the oil and gas ventures, irrespective of destruction of tropical
ecosystem.

The projects reportedly rely on slave labour and forced relocation
of the ethnic Mon, Karen and Tavoyan nationalities both by the Thai
civil and State Law and Order Restoration Council ( SLORC ) military
autorities. Ethnic resistance forces are facing overwhelming odds as
China supplies SLORK's army with hardware, fast patrol boats and jet
fighters. Ethnic nationalities and ecological diversity are the imme-
diate victimes of greed and racism, because the oil and gas corpora-
tions as well as multinational investors are assisting SLORC military
junta with technical and propaganda to legitimize SLORC rule.

In passing, it is worthy to note that the US Government supports de-
mocracy and human rights in Burma, but is undecided about the role of
US private investments. According to Winston Lord, Assistant Secretary
of State for Asia Pacific Affairs, "We do not encourage  ( US invest-
ment ), we do not stand in the way of it.".

Some informed sources say, US Business are currently lobbying the US
Congress to ensure that economic sanctions are not enacted. However,
the US Department of Commerce continues to issue reports encouraging
US companies to form joint-ventures with SLORC.

Thus, urgency to support Burma' s democratic movement, call for global
sanctions and expose the complicity of Western Corporations and neigh-
bouring regimes. The New Mon State Party, on behalf of the democratic
opposition and ethnic nationalities, hereby appeal to the internatio-
nal community, to hold their business interest in Burma until a de-
mocratic government is in power.

11 th May 1994			Central Executive Committee
				   New Mon State Party
					Burma