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TOTAL-FINA campaign in Belgium




TEXT OF THE APPEAL
Embargoed
SUPPORT DEMOCRACY IN BURMA
DON?T FILL UP AT TOTAL-FINA


ACTION
PETROL OR BURMA


(page 1)
Burma
A host of international crimes

?I would like to appeal to those who are prepared to make use of their
talent to promote intellectual freedom and humanitarian ideals so that they
may stand as  a matter of principle against companies which do business
with the Burmese military regime. May your freedom serve ours?
Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize 19911.


Ten years already. Over ten years since the population of Burma fell victim
to one of the most barbaric military regimes on the planet. Not just
ignoring the population? s call for democracy, this regime is guilty of a
host of international crimes. Already in 1988, it massacred thousands of
demonstrators, students and Buddhist monks, who had called only for
democracy and freedom of speech. It was like a preview of Tien An Men, but 
here in continental Europe it went largely unnoticed.

They have continued to show their contempt of the will of the people. After
these massacres the junta, pressed to organised in 1990 the first
democratic elections in Burma, ignored the results and remained in power to
this day. The electoral success at Aung San Suu Kyi and her non-violent
movement, the National League for Democracy (NLD) had indeed been a
landslide victory as they  won 82 % of parliamentary seats. This
parliament, however, was never convened. Many elected members were placed
under house arrest, like Aung San Suu Kyi herself, while others, less well
known, were arrested, jailed and tortured.

The Nobel Peace Prize received by Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991 has brought no
change. Reports by the United Nations2 describe a regular practice of
summary executions, torture3, and most importantly forced labour4 for
hundreds of thousands of Burmese men, women and children. Forced labour is
used to build railways and tourism infrastructure projects, and even to act
as human shields or ?landmine exploders5?, by the army of this
narco-dictatorship6.
(Page 2)

? We want Burma to be free and prosperous. We are not anti-business, but we
oppose investment in Burma today because our real malady is not economic
but political. What we are really suffering from is not lack of investment
or infrastructure, but misgovernance. Until we have a system that
guarantees rule of law and basic democratic institutions, no amount of aid
or investment will benefit our people?10.


TOTAL   PRIME SPONSOR OF THE BURMESE DICTATORSHIP

The French petroleum company Total has chosen to become the world?s number
one sponsor for these barbarities.

In 1992 TOTAL together with the American UNOCAL Corp., formed a joint
venture with the Burmese government controlled MOGE (Myanmar Oil and Gas
Enterprise) to exploit the Yadana gas field. A later contract, signed in
1995, also included as a partner the Thai PTT-EP (Petroleum Authority of
Thailand, Exploration and Production) and involved the building of a

pipeline through Burma to neighboring Thailand to feed power-stations there
over a period of 30 years. TOTAL remains the principal partner in the joint
venture. The project, with an estimated cost of 1.2 billion dollars, is by
far the single largest investment in Burma and amounts to over one third of
the total value of foreign investments in the country to date. Recently
completed it should supply the Burmese Government with an annual income
estimated between 100 and 250 million pounds sterling7.

Now, over 40 % of Myanmar?s public sector expenditures8 go to its army the
size of which has increased from 180 000 to 350 000 men since the junta
took power in 1988, although the country is not at war. It is therefore
evident that much of the income generated by the pipeline and the sale of
gas will be utilised by the military rulers to continue enslaving and
oppressing the people with their overpowering army. Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi
declared in 1996: ? The investors should not set up here since all the
money goes to an elite. I want to mention the French company TOTAL which
has become the strongest supporter of the Burmese military system. This is
not the time to invest here?9.

On February 19 1998 the European Parliament approved a resolution in which
it explicitly reiterated its call for European companies to leave Burma,
while reasserting that ?foreign investments in Burma are an important
financial support to the junta while not bringing the slightest direct
benefit to the Burmese population?.

Such calls were not left unanswered: Firms like Pepsi, Levi?s, Interbrew,
Carlsberg, Heineken, Reebok, C&A, Hewlett-Packard, Ericsson, and others
have already chosen to pull out of Burma.


(page 3)
?There are cases where economic sanctions, applied in an appropriate way
(...) can be very useful (...). I am in favour of effective sanctions
[against the SLORC]?.
Michael Kantor, American Secretary of Commerce, Reuters, 28.06.96.

When pulling out of Burma in 1992, the Levi-Strauss multinational company
indicated that in the present circumstances it would be impossible to trade
with Burma ?without directly supporting the military government and its
systematic policy of human rights violations?.
Quoted by G. Millman in ?Troubling projects?, Infrastructure Finance,
Feb./March 1996



In continuing its support to the military junta through its self-serving
presence in Burma, TOTAL has chosen to transgress this appeal by the
European Parliament while denying serious warnings from bodies as
authorized as the International Labour Organisation and other UN agencies.
PETROFINA
Co-sponsor of international crimes committed in Burma

Recently the company PETROFINA, flagship of Belgian industry, has merged
with the French  TOTAL to form a new multinational now named ?TOTAL-FINA?.

Breaking with its relatively ?clean? reputation among petroleum companies,
PETROFINA has thus become associated with ?the strongest supporter of the
Burmese military system?, to quote Aung San Suu Kyi herself.

At the same time, and with little regard for the many international reports
which have denounced the crimes now taking place in Burma, PETROFINA

contravenes a call by the Belgian Parliament which, in a resolution voted
unanimously by the 131 members of Parliament present on February 4 1999,
called on the Belgian government to put pressure on all Belgian companies
to cease any trade with Burma.

(page 4)


?It is now time to admit that the policy of constructive engagement with
the SLORC is a failure (...) International pressure can change the
situation in Burma. Tough sanctions, not constructive engagement, finally
brought (...)the dawn of a new era in my country. This is the language that
must be spoken with tyrants - for, sadly, it is the only language they
understand?.
Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize 1984, ?Burma as South Africa? in the Far
Eastern Economic Review, 16.09.93.


FILLING UP AT A TOTAL OR FINA PETROL STATION MEANS SUPPORTING THE BURMESE
MILITARY DICTATORSHIP

We are shocked to learn that the foremost Belgian company will become
involved in the direct support of one of the world?s bloodiest regimes, a
regime which denies democracy and tramples on the most elementary human
rights and labour rights.

1/      Ethically we have to draw a simple conclusion: buying petrol at
TOTAL or FINA signifies support, at least indirectly, for the continued
international crimes which are  commonplace in Burma. As citizens or
associations enjoying democratic freedoms within the rule of law we can no
longer fill our tanks with that petrol. It would be tantamount to silent
complicity.

2/      In defence of democracy we choose to respond positively to the
calls of those who legitimately represent the people of Burma. Clear
winners of the last free elections organised in Burma, the Members of
Parliament of the National League for Democracy (NLD)  and their leader Mrs
Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, appeal from their jail cells
or embattled homes that we stop all trade with the present Myanmar rulers.
We can only respect the will of those democratically elected by the people
of Burma and stop buying petrol from TOTAL and FINA.

3/      And finally, from a political perspective, we must underline the
very exceptional character of the situation in Burma. On the one hand a
call has been made to cease temporarily all trading relationship with Burma
- this call comes from Burma itself, via the representatives of the
population. On the other hand, and this is important, these legitimate
representatives of the people of Burma provide a realistic and credible
political alternative which convinces us of the real efficiency of economic
pressures on the present military regime to permit the resumption of the
democratic process interrupted in 1990. Additionally these economic
pressures will be all the more effective as the military regime is
currently almost bankrupt and depends on foreign investments for its
survival.

A familiar precedent is shown by the case of South Africa under the
apartheid regime. A call coming from within the country combined with a
credible political alternative have brought about the successful democratic
transition that we know.

Our objective, in responding to the call of the representatives of the
people of Burma is therefore clear: to weaken the military regime in power

and reinforce the only credible political alternative of democratic rule.

AN APPEAL TO CONSUMER RESPONSIBILITY
For all these reasons, and believing that our ethical judgments and
democratic convictions can only gain legitimacy by and in our daily
actions, we, citizens, civic organizations, unions, companies:

1/      commit ourselves  personally to stop buying petrol and heating fuel
(and any other derived product) from TOTAL and FINA.

2/      call upon all Belgian citizens, as responsible consumers and in
reflection of our own enjoyment of fundamental freedom:
-       to stop buying petrol and heating fuel from TOTAL and FINA
-       to put pressure on their companies and local authorities11so that
these also will stop buying TOTAL and FINA products.

3/      call upon our democratically elected leaders to take strong and
concrete actions towards restoring the rights of those elected by the
people of Burma.

4/      call upon the TOTAL and FINA petroleum companies to exert the
strongest pressure on the Myanmar rulers towards the restoration of
fundamental human rights and of the democratic process interrupted in 1990.

The undersigned, supporters of the ?Petrol or Burma? initiative, will
return to TOTAL and FINA petrol stations when the elected members of
parliament of the National League for Democracy, who are the legitimate
representatives of the people of Burma, advise us that the democratic
process is sufficiently advanced for trade to resume between Burma and the
rest of the world.


Signatories of the 
Petroleum or Burma action

ABC (Action Birmanie Coherence) of the Universite Catholique de Louvain
Birma Groep/Groupe Birmanie

This action is also supported by
-       Assemblee generale des etudiants de Louvain (AGL)
-       Bevrijde wereld
-       La revue Nouvelle
-       Oxyjeunes
-       Jeunes PSC
-       Jeunesse et Ecologie
-       jeunes FDF
-       KWIA steungroep voor Inheemse Volkeren
-       UCOS
-       Mouvement Chretien pour la Paix
-       Federation des Etudiants Francophones (FEF)
-       CNAPD
-       CNCD
-       Ligue des droits de l' Homme
-       Oxfam Wereldwinkels
-       Fonds voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
-       Mensenbroeders
-       Young Agalev

-       Baron Arthur Haulot;
-       Frederic Van Rossum (Composer);
-       Bernard Foccroule (Director, La Monnaie);
-       Gregor Chapelle, Veronique van der Plancke 
        (Promotion Aung San Suu Kyi-droit UCL 98);
-       Jean Cornil (directeur adjoint du centre pour l' egalite des
chances);
-       Jeanne-Marie Oleffe, Jacques Lefevre (PSC);
-       Isabelle Durant, Jacky Morael, Jean-Luc Roland, Martinne Dardenne,
Vincent Decroly         (Ecolo);
-        Lode Van Oost (Agalev)
-       Cecile Verwimp-Sillis (Agalev)
-       Jean-Michel Javeau (President du conseil de la jeunesse d'
expression francaise)
-       Vincent Lurquin; Barbara de Radigues; Gerard De Schiettere;
Marie-Therese Ghoos;
-       Jean Nizet, Petra Rudolf (FUNDP);
-       Eric David (ULB);
-       Jean-Marie Klinkenberg (ULG);
-       Paul Lim (European Institute for Asian Studies)


Pour L' UCL:
Frederic Saussez, Isabelle Ferreras, Philippe Coppens,
Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Paul Lowenthal, Pierre Dehez, Albert Bastenier,
Bernard Francq, Remy Velazquez, Isabelle Cassiers, Nicolas Brahy, Thibaut
de Menten, Jean-Yves Carlier, Marie-Emilie Ricker, Robert Cobbaut, Francois
Koeune, David Leloup, Jerome Wilson, Hubert Gerard, Bernadette Wynants,
Camille Focant, Philippe Baret, Joseph Bonmariage, Agnes Boulet, Raymonde
Charlier, Jacques Claessens, Nathalie Kruyts, Stephanie Medina, Etienne
Pailhes, Leopold Paquay, Gaetan Vanloqueren, Mauro Pesenti, Micheles
Schmiegelow, Lutgarde Scrijvers, Il, Tchouate, Monique Thielen, Michel
Guissard, Jean-Pierre Hiernaux, Nathalie Schiffino, Vincent Henin,
Benedicte Hinghels, Michel Installe


Over to you, TOTAL, FINA!

For more information, or to add your signature to this action, please call:
l? Action Birmanie Coherence, AGL
Gaetan Vanloqueren
tel: (010) 45 08 88 - fax (010) 45 80 25
e-mail: abc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Birma Groep/Groupe Birmanie
(KWIA werkgroep)
tel (03) 218 84 88 - fax (03) 230 45 40
e-mail 8888@xxxxxxxxx
and 101506.573@compuserve,com


Footnotes
1/      In Le Monde, December 10 1998. Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of
the National League for Democracy, a movement which won 82% of
parliamentary seats during the free and fair elections of 1990. This
parliament has never been convened. Most of those elected are now in jail,
often tortured.
2/      ?The well-documented reports, photographs and testimonies received
by the special rapporteur lead him to conclude that extrajudicial, summary
and arbitrary executions, the practice of torture, portering and forced
labour continue to occur in Myanmar..? Report of January 15 1998 by the
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human rights situation in Myanmar
(Burma) p. 17 : http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu4/chrrep/98chr70.htm
3/      Report of February 5 1996 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on Myanmar p 20 §114 and 115: ?According to reports, torture and bad
treatments appear to be a method commonly used to obtain confessions from
civilians suspected of involvement in real or presumed anti-government
activity. (...) Reports of torture and inhuman treatments for the last year
include severe beatings, binding in chains, suffocating, burning, stabbing,
rubbing salt and other chemicals in open wounds, along with psychological
torture such as death threats.?
4/      A report of 1998 after a thorough inquiry by the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) observes the general and systematic use of forced
labour by the Burmese authorities. The text of the report can be found on
the internet : http://www.ilo.org
5/      Report of the  commission of inquiry of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) set up to examine the respect by Myanmar of the
convention on Forced Labour, 1998, p.276-277.
6/      Myanmar is considered to be the world?s top producer and exporter
of heroine, after a  report published in 1996 by the US State Department. 
It estimates that Burma supplies 60 % of the world?s total production of
heroine and opium. In Newsday: The heroine pipeline, by M. McAllister,
5/01/1998.

7/      Ref. Courrier economique et financier-Asie Pacifique, n. 12 of
09/01/1995, Liberation of 26/05/1995, The Economist of 13/07/1996, The Far
Eastern Economic Review of 15/08/1996.
8/      In Burma, country in crisis, p. 17.
9/      Excerpts from an interview to Le Monde, of July 21-22 1996.
10/     Speech published on the website of the Free Burma Coalition:

http://danenet.wicip.org/fbc/speech2.html
11/     This approach was started in the United States, where several towns
adopted laws forbidding the city from purchasing goods and services offered
by companies investing in Burma. To quote a few: San Francisco, Berkeley,
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Ann Arbor, Madison. A similar
law was adopted by the state of Massachussets