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TOTAL-FINA campaign in Belgium (r)
Glad to see it! Good luck. Did the politician Daniel Cohn Bendit
recently, some two weeks ago, demonstrate at a TOTAL Fina gas station in
Belgium, as a source has informed me, but nothing seen my end in French
press. ds
Euro-Burmanet
Worldwide TOTAL Boycott on the net
Brigitte MacDonald wrote:
>
> 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