[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
GEO 30 pages on Burma, French Oct i
- Subject: GEO 30 pages on Burma, French Oct i
- From: cd@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 08 Oct 1996 09:21:00
Subject: GEO 30 pages on Burma, French Oct issue, fashion style
TO GEO MAGAZINE (Prima Press) EDITOR JEAN-MARC MARTY, Paris, France
<hr>
Headline: GEO (Fr) Burma Cover Story: Exceptional Photo Story October
Issue
Keywords: NLD ban, Prima Press,National League for Democracy (NLD),
Aung San Suu Kyi, human rights, political prisoners, torture, murder,
execution, rape, Slorc abuses, forced labor, forced relocation, NLD
Congress 9/96,NLD arrests, NLD crackdown 9/96, GEO Magazine (10/96)
Date: october 7, 1996
Source: GEO, Euro-Burmanet
Section: ebn
Rubrique: main
With life-size photo-posters of the Burma cover plastered throughout
Paris, the October issue of GEO magazine (Prima Press) features the
golden Shwe Dagon pagoda by advertising and fashion photographer Jean
Larivière. GEO Editor in chief Jean-Luc Marty allows only slight
reference to the political turmoil overwhelming the country, and chooses
not to dismay GEO's numerous advertisers promoting travel packages to
Burma (cited below) while describing the dossier as the " occasion of
a 'voyage-histoire' (travel story ) to better know a country goldened by
the ruling junta. "
The black and white photos disclose no pictures of military, police, or
generals as thought reserved for the editing floor. Nothing apparently
unpleasant. Nothing to displease the Slorc authorities. Even no picture
of the "impressive courage" of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. A black and white
photo showing looking porters on the sandy banks of the Irrawaddy
discreetly avoids reference to forced labor, torture or death. Even
many of the black and white images look treated, or softened as though
to ease the pain of the brutal Burmese reality, and cast it in a grainy,
obscure mental fog.
These results of the writer and photographer, their self-censored
rendering of a human castotrophe failed to conceal its editors
disjuncted point of view, as much out of place as the story is warped
out of perspective.
The article is full of inaccuracies, such as "The forest covers still
almost half of the country ." The true figure of deforestation and
ecological disaster is closer to 70 % of the land stripped by Asian
logging companies from Thailand, Mayalsia, Indonesia and Japan,
including Mitsubishi among them. Hardly a mention off the "Visit Myanmar
Boycott ". Only generalised words of the " blood and terror " of 1988
that left 10,000 unarmed Burmese dead. No mention of the Genocide of
Mons, Karens, Karenni, Shans and other ethnic tribes. Under Slorc heroin
production has doubled, flooding Europe and the United States. It is no
little irony that as the French nation bears witness to the images of
the Shwe Dagon pagoda, it ignores, as does the "travel story", the
rising tumult of the Burma masses under the leadership of Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi.
How could an editor bow to such jounalistic over-sightedness of the
facts before its readers, if not to pay hommage to the Slorc junta.
Unlike GEO's readers, the declarations by the European Union, United
Nations, Amnesty International and other human rights organisations have
not passed out of view. And even during publishing, the European Union
has prepared eye-witness documentation on the Slorc national policy of
forced labor and massive forced relocation. All that and more is
suppressed in GEO's treatment of Burma.
Last month another press report from Rangoon portrayed a slightly more
realistic view of the Shwe Dagon Pagoda:
" On September 27,an unknown number of people marched to Shwe Dagon
Pagoda the following day after the so-called 'pre-emptive crackdown' on
September 27th. They marched to the holy site from two different routes.
The security forces, involving the feared Lon Htein, soldiers, police,
and traffic police, blocked the roads leading to the pagoda. Reportedly
the Lon Htein were taking video pictures of the marchers. Also present
on the scene were the officials of diplomatic missions in Rangoon.
According to the sources the largest confrontation was at Shwe Gonedaing
near the Shew Dagon. At Kaba Aye Pagoda Road SLORC troops used violent
means to control those who were fleeing.
All of those apprehended were said to be sent to Insein Prison.
The houses of Daw Suu and U Ba Win have been completely closed-off to
all visitors. These two houses are situated face to face on University
Avenue."
Obviously, GEO's editors need to be better informed. Have they been
reading the newspapers at all? Even the choice of Burma at this time is
highly suspect. One wonders if they were paid to do it? And sending a
fashion photographer and writer Jules Merleau-Ponty to deliver an
innocuous vaccination against the culture shock by the generals, was
insipid at best.
Geo Magazine
Editor in Chief Jean-Marc Marty
15 rue Galvani
75809 Paris Cedex 17
Tel (33 1) 40 55 4716
fax (33 1) 40 55 4796
Travel Agencies Advertising with the GEO Burma Story
Orient Express Voyages SA (Mandalay Cruise ship with Kipling library!)
Ms. Venice Simplon
75 Ave des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
FRANCE
Tel (33 1) 45 62 00 69
Fax (33 1) 4953 07 75
Voyage " Burmese Dreams " at 15 000 FF (17 days)
La Maison de l'Indochine
76, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
FRANCE
Tel (33 1) 40 51 95 15
Fax (33 1) 46 33 73 04
Metta, thank you, peace, happiness and long life. Virtually yours,
Dawn Star (Paris) <cd@xxxxxxx>
Burmanet / TOTAL Coordinator (France)
Euro-Burmanet (Paris, France)
Free Burma Coalition
http://wicip.org/fbc/
NCGUB
815 Fifteenth Street NW
Suite 910
Washington, DC 20005
<ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
P.O Box 6720
ST.Olavs Plass
0130 Oslo, Norway
Tel: 47-22-200021, Tel/fax:47-22-362525
Norway NCGUB you must make e-mail address to
level one (1)maung@xxxxxxxxxxx (the PM office e-mail)
level two (2)NCGUB Europe, U Nwe Aung e-mail
<101564.2652@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
US President Bill Clinton < president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
All members of the House can be reached via the Congressional
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
While some members have E-mail, electronic communication is not as
effective as a
telephone call or fax.
President William Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-1414
Warren Christopher
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C. Street NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-4000
National Security Advisor Anthony Lake
National Security Council
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-9481
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/
Your pass into the following sites, and much more.
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/nld/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/daask/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/pepsi/
Help support our effort. Write now, to :
Mrs. Emma BONINO
EC HUMANITARIAN OFFICE
The European Commission
Directorate General 1B
External Relations
(Directorate 1B, D, Division 3)
Rue de la Lois/Westraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium
EC Humanitarian Office Website : http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/echo/echo
Fax:32-2-299-1047
Join the Free Burma Coalition. Call 608-256-6572 or email:
zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Help support the TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT by donating funds to
EURO-BURMANET: Email cd@xxxxxxx
Send letters and cut-up UNOCAL / TEXACO / ARCO / TOTAL charge cards to:
Roger Beach, CEO
Unocal Corporation
2141 Rosecrans Blvd., Suite 4000 / El
Segundo, CA 90245
Tel: 310-726-7600
Gary Jones, CEO
Total North America
Total Tower, 900 19th Street
Denver,
CO 80202
Tel: 303-291-2000
Send your letters now :
TOTAL SA
Thierry Desmarest, CEO, President of Exploration and Production,
HQ: 24 Cours Michelet 92800 Puteaux France
Tel: 33-1-41-35-40-00 Fax: 33-1-41-35-64-65
E-mail :
Paris France, : <hourcard@xxxxxxxxx>
New York City <TOTALNYC@xxxxxxx> , <roberth@xxxxxxxxx>
All members of the US House of Representatives can be reached
at the Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
While some members have E-mail, electronic communication is not as
effective as a
telephone call or fax. Sent a letter, mark Free Burma Now, on the
envelop. Its effective.
President William Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-1414
Warren Christopher
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C. Street NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-4000
National Security Advisor Anthony Lake
National Security Council
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
(202) 456-9481
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$