South Africa & TOTAL BOYCOTT

[cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

kiru@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

hi there kiru naidoo
do you think you might be able to kick-start a Boycott TOTAL campaign
there in South Africa. As you may know, TOTAL boasts about their
progressive labor campaign and how they helped introduce fair labor
practices in South Africa, and how they were ahead of even the
democratic anti-apartheid movement there, so that when Mandala came in,
oh well, you know the story of how great TOTAL is, well, they sort of
helped make all that happen etc etc.

in other words, why not get down to truth on TOTAL in South Africa,
since the South Africa -Burma connection is a very real one now which
should be developed more fully, there, and on an international scale.

what do you think. We need your help.

Dawn Star
Euro-Burmanet
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/
Burmanet -Paris
TOTAL Coordinator
> 
> From: Kiru Naidoo <kiru@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) (fwd)
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 08:59:43 +0200 (SST)
> From: Pat Moodley <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Kiru Naidoo <kiru@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
> 
> STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE FREE BURMA CAMPAIGN (SOUTH AFRICA) ON THE
> OCCASION OF THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF BURMESE INDEPENDENCE
> 
> (The following statement was send to the South African media, various
> diplomatic missions , the hotel group hosting SLORC, the South African
> Department of Foreign Affairs and President Mandela.  It was published as
> a letter to the editor in amongst others the Business Day (10/01/96) and
> Sunday Tribune (12/01/96) both of which have national circlations.)
> 
> January 4 marks the 49th anniversary of Burma's independence from British
> colonial rule.  It was a hard fought and hard won struggle for self -
> determination and human dignity.  Tragically, democratic government was
> abruptly terminated in 1962 when the military seized power.  Burma has since
> been ruled by successive military juntas which have been universally
> condemned for their atrocious human rights records.  The present
> authorities known officially as the State Law and Order Restoration
> Council (SLORC) annulled the 1990 election in which the opposition led by
> Nobel Laureate , Aung San Suu Kyi, emerged victorious with 82% of the
> popular vote.  In its efforts to consolidate dictatorship SLORC has
> arbitrarily detained , tortured and murdered thousands of its political
> opponents.  Ordinary people suffer indignities associated with forced
> labour, forced relocation, arbitrary taxation, sexual and other forms of
> violence on a regular basis.  The conscience of the civilised world
> dare not tolerate such tyranny.  A global campaign modelled on
> the international anti-apartheid movement is gaining momentum around the
> world.  The Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) was born out of the
> belief that as recently liberated South Africans, we have a moral
> obligation to campaign for the liberation of oppressed peoples
> elsewhere.  We add our voices to the international call to isolate SLORC
> and urge the restoration of democracy in Burma through the
> acknowledgment of the results of the 1990 elections.  We further urge
> the South African government to distance itself from SLORC and withdraw
> recognition of its emissary in this country.  Few diplomatic missions
> will accept the SLORC emissary's invitation to celebrate Burma's
> independence in Pretoria on January 6.  South Africa could send an even
> stronger message to the world by telling the military authorties that
> they are not welcome on our soil.
> 
> Issued by:
> Kiru Naidoo
> Free Burma Campaign
> P.O. Box 138
> 3611 Pavilion
> Tel: 082 4166585
> Fax: 031 8202340
> email: kiru@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx