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U.S. SANCTIONS ON BURMA
- Subject: U.S. SANCTIONS ON BURMA
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 02:05:00
DATE=3/6/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-35878
TITLE=U-S SANCTIONS/BURMA
BYLINE=KHIN MAUNG HTAY (619-1417)
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: (UNVOICED)
INTRO: THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS (N-A-M) -- A
POWERFUL AMERICAN BUSINESS GROUP BASED IN WASHINGTON -- RECENTLY
PUBLISHED A STUDY IT SAYS SHOWS THE NEGATIVE IMPACT UNILATERAL
U-S ECONOMIC SANCTIONS HAVE HAD IN RECENT YEARS. BURMA IS ONE OF
35 COUNTRIES INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. AS KHIN MAUNG HTAY (PRON:
KIN MAWNG TAY) OF V-O-A'S BURMESE SERVICE REPORTS, THE
ASSOCIATION SAYS SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA WOULD NOT CHANGE THE
BEHAVIOR OF THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN RANGOON:
TEXT: THE 30-PAGE STUDY LOOKS AT 61 UNILATERAL ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES AGAINST 35 COUNTRIES FROM
1993 TO 1996. THE MAIN MESSAGE IS THAT UNILATERAL SANCTIONS DO
NOT WORK, AND HAVE NEVER HELPED CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF
GOVERNMENTS THE SANCTIONS TARGET.
JERRY JASINOWSKI, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
MANUFACTURERS, TOLD A WASHINGTON NEWS CONFERENCE THIS IS TRUE IN
THE CASE OF IRAN AS WELL AS BURMA:
/// JASINOWSKI ACT ///
I THINK WHAT APPLIES, IN THE CASE OF BURMA, IS
SOMETHING THAT APPLIES FOR ALL OF THESE SANCTIONS. I
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SINGLE, UNILATERAL
SANCTION WHICH CLEARLY WORKS EFFECTIVELY TO CHANGE
THE BEHAVIOR (OF TARGETED GOVERNMENTS). // OPT //
I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT HAVING SOME ADVERSE
ECONOMIC IMPACT. CLEARLY, SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN
HAVE HAD ADVERSE ECONOMIC IMPACTS. BUT DO THEY CHANGE
BEHAVIOR? I DON'T THINK SO. THE STATE DEPARTMENT
DOESN'T THINK SO // END OPT //. SO THE QUESTION IS,
LET'S NOT USE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T WORK. IT HAS
ADVERSE EFFECTS HERE AND I THINK THAT APPLIES, AS FAR
AS I KNOW, TO BURMA AS WELL AS THE OTHER SANCTIONS IN
THE REPORT.
/// END ACT ///
MR. JASINOWSKI WAS ASKED ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIAL NATURAL GAS
PIPELINE PROJECT IN SOUTHERN BURMA IN WHICH THE U-S UNOCAL
CORPORATION IS WORKING WITH TOTAL OF FRANCE, THAILAND'S STATE
PETROLEUM COMPANY, AND THE ENERGY COMPANY RUN BY BURMA'S MILITARY
GOVERNMENT.
// OPT // HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND OTHER CRITICS HAVE ACCUSED
RANGOON OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE PIPELINE PROJECT, AND
SAY PROFITS GOING TO BURMA'S JUNTA WILL ONLY HELP PERPETUATE
MILITARY RULE. UNOCAL SAYS ITS INVESTMENT WILL HELP THE BURMESE
PEOPLE IN THE LONG-RUN. // END OPT //
MR. JASINOWSKI REITERATED HIS ASSOCIATION'S VIEW THAT SANCTIONS
DO NOT MAKE SENSE, AND ONLY SERVE TO HURT PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRIES CONCERNED:
/// JASINOWSKI ACT ///
YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN
STARVE PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR TO THE POINT THAT THEY CAN
TAKE OVER HEAVILY-ARMED DICTATORSHIPS IN CERTAIN
COUNTRIES. AND I THINK THAT YOU HAVE GOT THIS NOTION
THAT SOMEHOW BY BRINGING SANCTIONS AGAINST PEOPLE WHO
ARE POOR TO BEGIN WITH, THAT WE ARE SOMEHOW GOING TO
GET THEM TO OVERTHROW DICTATORSHIPS. IT JUST DOESN'T
MAKE SENSE.
// END ACT //
ALSO AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE WAS TRACY O'ROURKE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER AND CHAIRMAN OF VARIAN ASSOCIATES INC., A HI-TECH
MANUFACTURING FIRM IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA. HE SPOKE ABOUT
LEGAL ASPECTS OF SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA, AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS BY
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES AGAINST
INDONESIA:
// O'ROURKE ACT //
SO THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT ARE
RAISED: CONSTITUTIONAL AND [THOSE RELATING TO] W-T-O
(WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION). HOW THEY WILL PLAY OUT
IS NOT CLEAR. BUT ONE OUGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT
THAT BECAUSE IT IS AS JERRY (JASINOWSKI) SAID -- IT
IS HAPPENING IN MASSACHUSETTS ON BURMA, AND THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT INDONESIA, TOO. IT'S OAKLAND,
CALIFORNIA, AND BURMA; AND BURMA AND SAN FRANCISCO.
// END ACT //
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS RELEASED ITS REPORT AS
THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL -- AS WELL AS THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN
CALIFORNIA -- WERE CONSIDERING A BAN ON STATE CONTRACTS WITH
COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN BURMA. SIMILAR STEPS ARE ALSO BEING
CONSIDERED IN CONNECTICUT AND VERMONT. (SIGNED)
EAP/KMH/KMW/DAR/MMK