[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
TOTAL's Shareholders
- Subject: TOTAL's Shareholders
- From: ri@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 04 Jun 1995 09:33:00
The following letter was distributed to shareholders at the general
meeting of TOTAL on May 31. (English Translation)
Sir/Madam,
You are a shareholder of the company TOTAL. We would like, as we did last year,
to draw your attention to certain of your company's commercial ties which we
feel are unacceptable and weaken your own interests.
TOTAL is conducting the exploitation of an important gasfield in the Martaban
Gulf in Burma (Myanmar). It Would be impossible to resume the extreme
brutality of the Burmese regime, exposed recently in John Boorman's film
"Beyond Rangoon" shown at the Cannes film festival last month. Several
reports (which you may read if you wish) have been written on the subject.
Exactions perpetrated by the Burmese military regime, the SLORC (State Law
and Order Restoration Council) are sadly abundant: torture, forced labour,
massacres, drug trafficking, cancellation of elections with a large democratic
opposition majority, Mrs.Aung San Suu Kyi (Nobel Peace Prize 1991) still under
house arrest. All these facts were acquired by the U.N. or organizations like
Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights or the
Geopolitical Drugs Observatory.
Your company's collaboration with this regime considerably tarnishes TOTAL's
image and exposes it to international criticism. For instance, the press is
increasingly echoing these criticisms and in particular the SLORC's use of the
local population to build a railway line linked to the construction of the
pipeline which will convey gas into Thailand (of. "Liberation" 26.5.95. and
the "Bangkok Post 7.5.95.) Not to mention the forced displacements of tens of
thousands of villagers.
It is understandable that the people of Burma see the collaboration between
your company and this regime as a means for the SLORC to intensify its
repression. So it is not very surprising that there was an attack against the
team working on the pipeline on March 7th. Unfortunately the attack lead to
5 deaths and 11 wounded.
TOTAL's investment in the gasfield exploitation and pipeline construction
already totals over 300 million francs and work still to be done should cost
about 2.5 billion francs. We feel that shareholders in TOTAL should take into
consideration the sum of investments in a country where the brutality of the
regime promises a period of political instability. This sum represents around
80% of the profits secured by the company and 150% of the profit that your
Board of Directors offers to distribute this year. The Board is beginning to
take account of the risks of this investment since in 1994 an extra 195
million francs was registered for this project.
So why continue under these conditions? Several international enterprises
(Levi's, Amoco, Liz Claiborne, Reebok....) have already decided to withdraw
their interests from this country. UNOCAL, TOTAL's American partner in the
operation, appears to be having more and more doubts.
We ask TOTAL shareholders:
1. To be aware of the fact that a collaboration of this kind is demaging to
TOTAL's image and that TOTAL's management, despite their explanations provides
no guarantee to refute the numerous testimonies concerning population
displacement or the Burmese regime's use of forced labour.
2. To assert/protect/emphasise your shares/interests, particularly because the
population and Burmese minorities (Mons, Karens), seeing TOTAL's intervention
as an aid to the repressive regime, will doubtless target your interests.
TOTAL's management could acknowledge the legitimacy of their claims by
accepting to meet with their official representatives.
As shareholders, you have the right to be informed about the risks you take.
---------------------------------------