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Correction: EuroBurmanet, Paris : T



Reply-To: 33 1 <"cd"@utopia.eunet.fr/tel 43 29 32 44>
Subject: Correction: EuroBurmanet, Paris : Total: French campaign and report

following up darnott@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Euro-Burmanet and Burmanet's TOTAL coordinator in Paris contacted FIDH
today at tel (331) 43 55 25 18, and they are sending us a report which
we will make available on the Net. Dawn Star (TOTAL was supposed to
attend the press conference but did not surface - Dawn Star)
> 
> FIDH REPORT ON THE TOTAL GAS PIPELINE AND
> FRENCH CAMPAIGN FOR TOTAL WITHDRAWAL FROM BURMA
> 
> 
> THE REPORT
> 
> The Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights
> (FIDH), which has national chapters in a large number of
> countries, issued a report on 23 October condemning the French
> oil company Total for complicity in human rights violations in
> Burma (see report on p3 of "Le Monde" of 24/Oct/96: "Human
> Rights activists condemn the collusion between Total and the
> Burmese dictatorship").
> 
> The oil company, part-owned by the French State, is involved,
> with the US company Unocal, in constructing a gas pipeline
> across a narrow stretch of Burma, to carry gas from an
> offshore field in Burmese waters to energy-poor Thailand.
> 
> FIDH argues that forced relocations, forced labour and other
> human rights violations in the area are directly related to
> the pipeline; that "without the pipeline, some or all of the
> violations would not have occurred". The human rights
> organisation does not deny that Total has tried to avoid
> forced labour on the limited area of the actual pipeline site.
> However, Total's partner in the operation, the Burmese
> military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council,
> appropriately known by its Orwellian acronym, SLORC, is
> somewhat less meticulous. Forced labour is an integral part of
> its economy, and forced relocation of whole populations its
> standard way of dealing with ethnic groups which have the
> misfortune to live in the wrong place. SLORC has been
> condemned by the United Nations and the International Labour
> Organisation among others for its forced labour practices and
> most other human rights violations in the book.
> 
> Total cannot claim innocence and protest that it was unaware
> of its partner's bad habits: the international condemnations
> have not been kept secret; indeed, the French Government,
> which sits on the Total board, is the very government which
> every year since 1989 has prepared the resolution on Burma at
> the UN Commission on Human Rights. In addition,
> non-governmental organisations have informed Total many times
> since the project was first discussed that human rights
> violations were likely in such an operation. It was
> predictable, for instance, that SLORC would use forced labour
> in carrying out its part of the pipeline agreement, namely to
> "guarantee the security" of the pipeline. Forced portering and
> other kinds of forced labour have indeed been used by the
> extra battalions brought in to "provide security" in this area
> of ethnic conflict, as well as forced relocation of villages
> near to the route (FIDH quotes a figure of 30,000 relocated
> since 1991).
> 
> FIDH also argues that the pipeline project constitutes
> "economic support" for the Burmese dictatorship, which
> "already benefits financially from the pipeline through loans
> guaranteed by future revenues". More than 50% of SLORC's
> budget is for the military.
> 
> 
> THE CAMPAIGN
> 
> The report supports a campaign launched at the end of
> September by Agir Ici and a number of other groups in France,
> to get Total to suspend its operations in Burma.

EUROBURMANET LAUNCHED A WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT IN AUGUST FOLLOWING
TOTAL UNOCAL BOYCOTT LAUNCHED BY DAVID WOLFBERG IN LA (WITH PAM
WELLNER)OF International Rainforest group. Agir Ici did not launch this.
We encourage all readers to see the TOTAL files on the
http://wwww-uvi.eunet/fr TOTAL website. - Dawn Star
> 
> The groups concerned are: Aide Medicale Internationale,
> Federation Artisans du Monde, FIDH, France Libertes, Freres
> des Hommes, Justice et Paix-France, Peuples Solidaires, Reseau
> Jeunes Solidaires, Reseau Solidarite, Reseau d'information
> tiers monde, Survie, and Terre des Hommes-France. These
> groups, with a combined membership of approximately 20,000,
> will send letters and postcards to the Total officers, among
> other forms of action.
> 
> The Burma Campaign accompanies a similar campaign on Elf and
> Shell for their activities in Nigeria. The information
> brochure is headed "Nigeria, Birmanie: les dictatures
> carburent au super!" ("Nigeria, Burma: dictatorships running
> on super!"). The Burma section begins with a statement by Aung
> San Suu Kyi, quoted in "Le Monde" of 20 July 96: "Total has
> become the strongest support of the Burmese military system.
> This is not the time to invest here".
> 
> The brochure has a brief outline of recent Burmese history,
> the human rights situation, Total's involvement and the
> Burmese democracy movement's request for sanctions. The
> cartoon on the postcard shows an oil-man with oily hands
> preparing to shake hands with a SLORC officer. He says "I'm
> sorry, my hands are dirty"  The SLORC officer, with a club in
> his pocket, his hands bloody from a body he has been beating,
> replies "that doesn't bother me". The text on the opposite
> side of the card, addressed to the Chairman of Total, goes:
> "Your company is playing a key role in gas exploitation in
> Burma.  Considering the political situation in the country and
> the appeal made by Nobel Peace Laureate Mme Aung San Suu Kyi
> and Burmese democrats for economic sanctions on their country,
> I ask you to SUSPEND TOTAL'S OPERATIONS IN BURMA until the
> military restores civilian rule. Total's presence in this
> country is clearly supporting the military regime, a form of
> support you should reconsider. Companies like Levi's,
> Heineken, Carlsberg and Amoco have already pulled out of Burma
> so as not to reinforce the regime. TOTAL should join in the
> isolation of the Burmese regime....."
> 
> 
> Those wanting further information on the campaign, or campaign
> materials, should contact
> 
> Marie-Line Ramackers, Agir Ici, 14, Passage Dubail, F-75010
> Paris, France. Tel (+33-1) 40 35 07 00;
> Fax 40 35 06 20; email agirici@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> ..............................................................
> David Arnott, Burma Peace Foundation, Geneva.
> Tel/Fax (+41-22) 733 2040; Email darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx