Euro-Burmanet call JOIN THE WORLDWI

[cd@xxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Euro-Burmanet call JOIN THE WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT!

August 24,1996

Dear Free Burma activists, supporters and friends in Europe and 
elsewhere, 

The time has come.

it seems to be constant now, -that the movement must accelerate to meet 
the challenge of the recent onrush of events which the summer of 1996 has 
occasioned. 

It is not now the time to lower the guard against the ever-present menace 
of fascism in Burma. Worse, its co-conspirators in the great oil 
companies TOTAL and Unocal have widened the gap between responsible 
government intervention through diplomatic and economic pressure leaving 
the door open for renewed attacks on the NLD and relentless rape and 
dehumanization of an entire nation of peoples, ethnics and cultures. The 
Genocide and annihilation of the Burmese nation must stop. 

We unanimously support the announcement  taken by the Free Burma Movement 
in the United States on August 19, 1996 when it declared in a letter to 
TOTAL Petroleum North America of an all-out TOTAL and Unocal Boycott. 

In Chechnya and Bosnie we have seen the failure of European and western 
nations to deliver their promise of peace and to end the bloody conflict 
that wretches the heart of Europe, and, even more tragically than thought 
possible,  Europe now cringes under the weight of its own discontent at 
home where social unrest and unemployment pull at an old and tired dying 
soul. Europe of the  20th century. Europe ravaged by war, Europe 
prosperous. Europe humbled by a lack of vision and humanity. The century 
is coming to an end. And so too must end the inertia of frustrated and 
warring diplomats afraid to stand up to Asian autocrats and dictators 
taunting the world with their corruption, nepotism and illegitimacy as 
leaders on the world stage of democracy. The curtain must close on these 
harbingers of ill-fate, suffering, poverty and despair.

For TOTAL, and its pipeline partners, the crisis in Burma is a long-term 
crisis investment. Slorc aims to rule for the long-term, TOTAL invests 
for the long-term. The summer's series of crisis to crisis news-breaking 
events is over, but the crisis goes on with no end in sight. Once the 
West signaled that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was not to be harmed, or 
imprisoned - her public and private life is already under seige and 
around the clock surveillance,- it appeared that the West could save face 
and go away with its dignity intact. That is not so, for as long as Slorc 
remains bold and brazenly in place, the dignity of the West suffers 
further loss with the lives of the forgotten Burmese people. 

Evil never ceases to change its forms. The Slorc rulers play out their 
tea-time diplomacy gaining time to reap more hell and rich profits as the 
people endure more harsh suffering and unspeakable brutality at the hands 
of a western-supported army of ignorant violent thugs. TOTAL has said 
clearly that the huge French energy company will not pull out of Burma 
and abandon their Slorc business partners. TOTAL's security directors 
coordinate strategy with the Slorc generals for construction and 
protection of their " Death pipeline ". 

Meanwhile, Slorc continues to defy Warren Christopher's muted warnings 
and increases its repression, as TOTAL's own directors and corporate 
spokesmen publicly credit the company with improving conditions of life 
for the Burmese economy.All the while, Slorc kills and terrorizes an 
entire nation. 

For Slorc and TOTAL, nothing has changed. It is the same Evil in another 
form. As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has illuminated, augering silence to 
denounce these evils  is complicity and encourages more of the same.

There is no more time to lose. This is why we have called to JOIN THE 
WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT.

The strength and resistance of the Burmese people against the Slorc-led 
Genocide brings us to a turning point in the history of  the struggle for 
freedom. Recent diplomacy has proved sadly ineffective. Slorc and 
Washington do not speak the same language, their bluffs at reform is 
nothing but winds in the sails of stately internationalism gone 
dangerously off-course and on the shoals. But what of it ?  Even the US 
sanctions movement in Congress showed that neither Mr. Warren Christopher 
or his boss in the White House  are going to stop the killing and torture 
or end the dying. The arrest and tragic death in Insein Prison during the 
June crackdown of the European Honorary Consul Mr. James Leander Nichols 
is a timely omen that Slorc has too far transgressed the principles of 
international law. " Leo " Nichols was a symbol of all that was right in 
the democratic struggle in Burma, and the ears and eyes of Europe there. 
The European diplomats were caught off-guard. European human rights 
lobbies failed to sway them. United Nations condemnations were ignored. 
When at last Mr. Nichols closed his eyes at his tortures and took his 
last breath, he died. Did he die in vain ? Will Europe and the free men 
and women of the world, close their eyes on forgottten Burma ?

Dr. Sein, Prime Minister of the exile Burmese government  and cousin to 
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (both their uncles were founders of the independence 
of Burma from the British) is right when called last week, in Australia, 
he again upon the world to assert international pressure on Slorc's 
alleged government and end their repression. Dr. Sein urged that 
international investors heed the call of Suu Kyi and stop supporting 
Slorc with their investments in Burma. Foreign nvestors are increasing 
suppression and Genocide in Burma. 

For the past year Euro-Burma's repeated  recommendations hat the company 
TOTAL SA reverse its strategy of financial support and partnership with 
the alleged government of  " Myanmar " have  gone virtually ignored. In 
fact, TOTAL is strengthening its security measures to protect the 
pipeline, fosters the use of forced labor in its pipeline area under its 
supervision, and trades in sex with young Burmese girls. Essentially, 
TOTAL is destroying the integrity of the Burmese culture and its 
traditions - and making money on the Burmese energy ressources it 
exploits. It is the rape of Burma. TOTAL, and its directors in  the great 
French oil and gas bully,  are raping Burma. 

Last June,at TOTAL's annual shareholders' meeting in Paris, Euro-Burmanet 
denounced TOTAL's indifference and delivered a copy of the SAIN report " 
Total Denial " to Thierry Desmarest, PDG of TOTAL SA. He could not have 
cared less about any human rights victim. 

Our letters and interviews with Mr. Thierry Desmarest, PDG of TOTAL SA  
have been met with calculated insensibility and blatant disregard for 
human rights abuses for which they bear a great direct responsibility. 
TOTAL SA is a partner to genocide. There is already extensive 
documentation and eye witness testimony bearing out the rôle of TOTAL SA 
as they pursue undeterred in their plans to exploit the energy ressources 
of the country to their own benefit and the profit of the Slorc killing 
machine.

Like in Bosnia, European ministers overlooked the massacres and rape of 
suppression in Burma, of ordinary villagers helpless to defend themselves 
against  ignoble soldiers of a 400,000 man army trained and equipped by 
China. 

Therefore, Euro-Burmanet,based in Paris, with determination and 
committment of its supporters, while it regrets the conditions that make 
its decision irreversible, joins in solidarity with the Free Burma 
Movement in the United States - and the millions of people in the free 
world to stop investment in Burma.

We call upon all active Free Burma groups in Europe to join together now 
to coordinate united action JOIN THE WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT

Further, Euro-Burmanet joins in the international call to -

	-Stop all non-humanitarian investment and financial support of 
the Slorc regime in Burma
	-Boycott all tourism to Burma
	-Withdraw European Union's Generalised System of Preference (GSP) 
status to Burma
	-Release of all political prisoners in Burma
	-Endorse the political program of the National League for 
Democracy 

Send you letters now denouncing TOTAL's pipeline venture  and SLORC 
GENOCIDE in Burma to :

MR RAJSOOMER LALLAH
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR
C/O- U.N. CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PALAIS DES NATIONS
1211 GENEVA 10
SWITZERLAND


JOIN THE TOTAL BOYCOTT NOW! DOES TOTAL'S ENERGY BUSINESS CREATE NEW 
REFUGEES ?
FREE BURMA NOW ! 

Send your letters now : 

TOTAL  SA
Thierry Desmarest, CEO, President of Exploration and Production,
HQ: 24 Cours Michelet 92800 Puteaux France
Tel: 33-1-41-35-40-00  Fax: 33-1-41-35-64-65

E-mail : 
Paris France,  : <hourcard@xxxxxxxxx
New York City  <TOTALNYC@xxxxxxx , <roberth@xxxxxxxxx

http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total

TOTAL BOYCOTT TOTAL BOYCOTT TOTAL BOYCOTT TOTAL BOYCOTT TOTAL BOYCOTT 

We reprint the August 19 letter to TOTAL NORTH AMERICA. EMAIL IT TO :

TOTAL US
TOTALNYC@xxxxxxx 
roberth@xxxxxxxxx

Gary Jones, CEO
TOTAL Petroleum North America
TOTAL Tower, 900-19th Street
Denver, Colorado
[Hand Delivered]

Dear Mr. Jones:

We are here to express our concern about the irrefutable links between 
TOTAL and Burma's illegal military junta, the State Law and Order 
Restoration Council (SLORC).  

Through numerous exchanges with TOTAL International, we have 
conscientiously informed your company of the dangers -- both to the 
people of Burma and to TOTAL employees -- inherent in a joint venture 
partnership with the SLORC.

Since 1993 we have urged Unocal and TOTAL to reconsider this project 
until  there could be real guarantees that the SLORC wouldn't behave in 
the region of your proposed natural gas pipeline as it does throughout 
the country.

Human rights violations along the route of the TOTAL/Unocal/SLORC 
pipeline have been clearly documented and continue to be reported by 
refugees fleeing the area.

As you may know, Unocal is the target to a growing boycott throughout the 
western United States.  We regret to inform you that we now find no other 
alternative but to launch a North American campaign to boycott TOTAL and 
its service stations.  

At the same time, Free Burma groups in seven European countries are 
launching a TOTAL boycott after convincing Heineken and Carlsberg to 
cancel plans for breweries in Burma.

Please take some time to review the attached report, "TOTAL Denial", 
published by the Southeast Asian Information Network and EarthRights 
International.  

We are certain you'll agree it's time for TOTAL to suspend this project 
until the National League for Democracy is given a chance to exhibit the 
will of Burma's 43 million citizens -- who gave the NLD a
mandate for Democracy in Burma's 1990 elections.

Sincerely,

Inge Sargent                                    Kyaw Win, Ph.D.
Kim Mizrahi                                     David Wolfberg

Finally, I would like to call on you and organisations all to contribute 
in any way possible to JOIN THE WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT. No one must have 
illusions here. TOTAL is a formidable adversary not to be underestimated.

It will take a lot of coordinated and organised lobbying here in Europe 
and in the United States if we are to accomplish our common objectives. 
Let us all work together now. 

Please send your suggestions of ways and means for a better campaign. We 
will do our best to respond quickly.

And please be sure to send a copy of your letters e-mail to 
Euro-Burmanet. If you would like it posted, we will put it on the Web 
site annoncing your participation and support.

Thank you,
Dawn Star
cd@xxxxxxx
EuroBurmanet

>            http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma
>            http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total
>PS  Let's make it a presidential election issue, part of the campaign 
activity. Target TOTAL's distribution network in the United States. 
Hit'em where it hurts. Burma has become a national issue. Keep it so.

You may wish to Email your Congressional reps, and the White House : 
President@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Send a copy of your letter to your State 
representatives and Federal legislators in Congress.

Euro-Burmanet endorses the Free Burma Coalition in the Free Burma 
Movement.