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NEWS - Free Burma Coalition Launche



Subject: NEWS - Free Burma Coalition Launches Suzuki Boycott Company

Propping up Narco-Dictatorship in Burma'
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NOTE: Good going, we hit the news wires !!

Free Burma Coalition Launches Suzuki Boycott Company Propping up
Narco-Dictatorship in Burma'

               PRNewswire
               04-MAY-99

               WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Free Burma
Coalition today
               issued the following: The Free Burma Coalition today
announced an
               international boycott of Suzuki Motor Corporation,
because of that
               company's support for the illegal military junta in
Burma. Suzuki automotive,
               mo>orcycle and marine dealers around the world are all
targeted for
               boycotts, as are Suzuki-sponsored events such as the San
Diego Rock 'n
               Roll Marathon, on May 23rd. 

               Ignoring international opinion and the request of Burma's
own democratically
               elected leader, Suzuki announced on Oct. 13, 1998, that
it was investing $10
               million into a joint venture with the g widely regarded
as one of the worst
               human rights offenders in the world. The generals running
Burma are
               international pariahs, banned from setting foot in the
United States or the
               European Union. They have been condemned for human rights
violations,
               including summary executions, torture, forced
relocations, systematic rape
               and the ethnic cleansing of Christian, Moslem and other
minorities groups.
               The U.S. Department of Labor recently documented the
massive use of
               forced labor in Burma. 

               In addition, the junta has turned Burma into the world's
largest heroin
               exporter. According to the U.S. State Department, the
country has become a
               global center for narcotics money laundering. 


                  January 1997:     Pepsi pulls out of Burma.
                  February 1997:    Compaq pulls out of Burma.
                  March 1997:       Kodak pulls out of Burma.
                  April 1997:       Seagram pulls out of Burma.
                  September 1997:   Texaco pulls out of Burma.
                  August 1998:      Arco pulls out of Burma.
                  September 1998:   Ericsson pulls out of Burma.

                  October 1998:     Suzuki invests in Burma.

               The Free Burma Coalition (www.freeburmacoalition.org) is
an international
               coalition of grassroots groups and citizens working,
through peaceful means,
               to support the struggle of the Burmese people for
democracy.