IHC Caland wants political guidelin

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Subject: IHC Caland wants political guidelines for disputed delivery

Taken from the Dutch central news network ANP (General Dutch Newsagency)
Translated and commented by BCN.

December 7th, 1999
ANP Fin
Keywords; company IHC; IHC, Burma

IHC Caland wants political guidelines for disputed delivery

SCHIEDAM (ANP) - IHC Caland expects politics to define rules for deliveries
to countries that violate human rights. (IHC ceo De Ruyter, BCN) made
this remark in reaction to questions raised by parliament member
Koenders (Pvda) (Labour, BCN) about the sale by IHC of a cutter
suction dredger to the military junta of Myanmar, the former Burma.
President-director C. de Ruyter of IHC Caland says that within the
board of his company never before has a delivery been "discussed and
pondered over" so long as this one. "Moreover it is a very small
delivery of several million guilders compared to others (2 million us,
BCN). This delivery isbeing paid for in cash and cannot possibly be
used for human rights violations."
De Ruyter has a clear opinion about the military regime: "It belongs
to the most critisized regimes in the world, there is no doubt about
that. But when there are no clear national or international rules,
what should we adhere to? A political signal  - preferable from the EU 
or the UN, we would take very serious." The cutter suction dredger is
being delivered by IHC Holland, a daughter company of IHC in
Schiedam. Member of parliament Koenders wants to know from minister
Van Aartsen (Foreign Affairs) and underminister Ybema (Economic
Affairs) in how far the sale to Myanmar is in conflict with
(inter)national rules. Moreover, he wants to know if there are
possibilities to act against IHC for its sale to the junta, For years, 
humanrights groups have been saying the regime tortures and executes
people.