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>From reaproy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx  Thu Mar  7 06:07:05 1996
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Date: Thu, 07 Mar 1996 09:08:52 -0500
To: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Action Alert, Please Post on BurmaNet News
Cc: douglas.steele@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Status: R

Strider, 

I'd appreciate if you could post this on BurmaNetNews on a regular basis
until right before the 20th March deadline.  Its important that everyone who
has information on forced labor practices in Burma provide it to the EC's
investigating committee. 

Best wishes, Phil Robertson
=======================
The deadline for submissions is fast approaching, it is March 20th.  This
investigation is the first time ever that the European
Community (EC) is using the regulation in their Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP) code that countries found guilty of practicing forced labor
can lose trade privileges which reduce tariffs on exports to the EC.  
According to a recent article by the InterPress News Agency, last year the
Burma exporters and their SLORC friends received $30 million in tariff
privileges last year.  If we are successful in making our case to the EC, not
only will they lost those privileges (thereby making their exports to Europe
uncompetitive) but it will also be a major public embarrassment to SLORC. 
This is just the kind of economic pressure we need to generate to open political
space inside Burma that Daw Suu and the NLD can use.

So -- it's imperative that everyone who has first-hand knowledge and
experience of forced labor in Burma should write to the EC and tell them about
it!  This is a great opportunity to really make our voice heard and make it
count on the international level, hitting the SLORC in a big way where it hurts
them most...in the wallet!  Most importantly, it may finally give the SLORC
an incentive to stop their abuse of forced labor which saps the Burmese
people of their strength, their livelihoods, and in some cases, their lives. 

People can submit their entire story re: forced labor experiences or a brief
version (saying that an addendum will be added later), but the key is that it
get there by the March 20 deadline.  So please pass the word quickly!  All the
details of what to do are attached below.  

Thanks in advance for either acting on this message yourself or passing it
along to others who have this information.  Anyone who has questions can
contact me at reaproy@xxxxxxxx or (301) 270-1009.  

Best wishes, 

Phil Robertson 
==========================================
More information on European Commission investigation forced labour

Subject: Deadline, address and description of EC-investigation, related to
the GSP of the EC.

Deadline: March 20, 1996 

The definitive deadline for the deliverance of information, evidence and
other relevant documents for the investigation of the European Commission
into the use of forced labor in Burma, is 20th March 1996.

The information should be sent to:

The European Commission
Directorate General 1B
External Relations
(Directorate 1B, D, Division 3)
Rue de la Lois/Westraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium

Fax:
you can fax this division:
 .. 32-2-299-1047

(Representatives of) Organizations and/or individuals that wish to be heard=

by the commission:
- should specifically request to appear before a hearing; provided the
person or organization can demonstrate a legitimate concern and possesses
relevant information;

In practice this means that ERD there will be a hearing (this is not sure)
then representatives of the Burmese opposition, representatives of ethnic
groups and/or representatives of NGO's will be invited or asked by the EC to
appear. The representatives should make themselves known to the EC, at the
above address, and state who they are, what they do, how long they do this
and why they believe the EEC should hear them.  It is not clear whether
expenses of travel etc. can be covered, however.

Other questions, and their answers:

What sort of information can be submitted to the EC?
And can information be submitted without wanting to be heard by the EC?

Please note that:

- The EC already has the extensive report on forced labor, part of a
trilogy from the Burma Peace Foundation;

- The EC has assured itself of the co-operation of Yozo Yokota, special
rapporteur of the commission of Human Rights of the United nations.

- The EC already has a large number of documents eg from the KHRG, CPPSM,
HRW/A, IRRC and others that I do not include here.  Please do not submit
report from other organizations, but ask these organization to do so
themselves.

All other information that is considered needed and not already delivered=
can be submitted. This can be done in the following forms

1) as straight interviews
- on 'video' tape
- on 'sound' tape
- as written text

2) as (printed, written or other) reports that are not known to the EC yet

3) Photographs can ONLY be submitted IF:

- they clearly show forced labor

In any other case the photographs MUST be accompanied by an explanation
about the form, context, history and other details of the forced labor.  The
same is the case even when submitting photographs of chained forced
laborers.

Full description is in all cases needed because forced labor might
otherwise be judged different, depending on various international laws.