American Baptist Biennial Meeting P

[ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The American Baptist Biennial Meeting in Syracuse on June 27 passed a
resolution calling for a boycott of companies doing business in Burma.
The following statement was issued at the meeting:

//Begin Text//

				SIGNATURE STATEMENT
					ON
		HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN BURMA (ALSO CALLED MYANMAR)


1	At the 1993 Biennial Convention in San Jose, we adopted a Statement of
2 	concern on this subject, criticizing the tyranny of the State Law and Order
3	Restoration Council (SLORC), the Burmese Government.  The statement included
4	the following:
5	"C.	We call upon American companies operating in Burma
6		 to explore the ramifications of their present business
7		 interests.

8	D.	Because Pepsico, Amoco and Textron have admitted their
9		presence in Burma, whose presence has supplied tax
10		monies to SLORC with no benefit to the people, we urge
11		Bapticts to advise ethical investment funds to not
12		invest in those named companies."

13	These calls were consistent with Aung San Suu Kyi's request that foreign
14    	investment in Burma be boycotted.  Since then, little has changed.  Unocal,
15    	Pepsi and Texaco continue to do business in Burma by paying substantial
16    	"taxes" to the military SLORC.  Burma continues to have one of the world's
17    	worst human rights violations, and the SLORC continues to refuse to seat the
18    	officials elected in 1990.  Although the SLORC has consented to a
19    	Constitutional Convention, this has been primarily window-dressing, with only
20    	a few chapters written to date, after one year of deliberations.  Meanwhile,
21    	the SLORC army has overwhelmed one of the Karen strongholds at Manerplaw,
22	forcing an excess of 70,000 refugees to flee to Thailand.  Such is not the
23	action of a government seeking justice.
 24	Cities in the United States have taken the next step in pressuring the
25    	SLORC to mend its ways.  For example, on February 28, Berkeley, CA voted
26    	to ban all city contracts with companies doing business in Burma, of which
27    	Pepsi, Unocal and Texaco continue to be the leaders.

28	Therefore,

29	Recognizing that we have an historic and successful parallel in
30        resisting apartheid in S. Africa, and

31	Recognizing that tyrannical peace in Burma that lacks any justice is a
32        travesty of the Christian gospel, we:

33	A.	Again call upon the SLORC to turn over the government of
34		Burma to the rightfully elected opposition leaders;

35	B.	Call upon the ABC of the USA, all member Baptist
36		churches, and members of those churches, to refuse to
37		sign business contracts with American companies doing
38		business in Burma, and with specifically Pepsi, Unocal
39		and Texaco; and

40	C.	Inform those companies and the public that we are so
41		refusing.

//end text//


SP/