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Oil Campaign Packet



October 3, 1996

Dear Burma Activists and Others,

The Free Burma: No Petro-dollars for SLORC activist's packet is
finally available and ready for your use. The packet is intended
to provide you with the necessary information and tools to work on
the oil company campaign in your local area. It is available for
$5.00 in the US if sent by regular mail or that price plus the
cost of overnight mail, for those overseas the cost is $5.00 plus
postage.

For the those of you who have already paid for the packet, it will
be sent out immediately. We will also send it out to those of you
have requested it with an invoice. The following explains the
packet and campaign objectives and content.

All the best,

Pamela Wellner Campaign Coordinator

--------------------------------------------------------- October
1996

Dear Activist:

This information packet is intended to help you work locally on
the Free Burma- No Petro-dollars for SLORC campaign. Thank you for
your interest and efforts.

The campaign is focused solely on oil company investment in Burma.
It was spearheaded by a call for help from ethnic nationalities
living in the Tenasserim area where foreign oil companies are
developing gas pipeline projects. The Karen, Mon, and Tavoy
peoples are the victims of human rights abuses such as forced
relocation, forced labor, pillaging, rape and torture by SLORC
troops securing the pipeline area.

The campaign primarily focuses on two different gas pipeline
projects operated by Unocal(USA)/Total(France) and
Texaco(USA)/Nippon Oil(Japan)/Premier Oil(UK) in the southern
Burma Tenasserim watershed. The campaign will include Arco's new
contract for oil/gas exploration in the Andaman Sea. The
campaign's objective is to escalate public attention and pressure
on these companies so that they withdraw their operations and
investments from Burma until a genuine democratic government is in
place.

The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) maintains its
power by selling the country's resources at a furious rate. SLORC
is largely propped up by foreign oil interests. Oil income allows
them to buy arms to further suppress ethnic nationalities and the
democracy movement.

Aung San Suu Kyi, now free from house arrest, has asked that
economic sanctions be applied against the SLORC regime. In support
of Burma's democracy movement and ethnic nationalities we ask that
no US companies invest in Burma until a genuine democratic
government is in place.

We hope that you will work on this issue in your local area or in
any other area of influence you have. We need to raise public
awareness to create the necessary national/world-wide pressure on
the oil companies.

These issues are constantly changing and more information comes
out on a daily basis, we may have missed some information that you
want or need, please contact us if you have questions or want more
information, and we will do our best to provide it to you.

We have enclosed the following information to help you work on
this campaign:
-  Background information and recent articles on Burma and oil
company projects.
-  Background information on Burma's natural environment
-  Brochures on Unocal, Texaco, and Total & boycott stickers (more
may be ordered).
-  How to write a press release, organize a demonstration, protest
sites & media tips
-  Sample letters to the heads of the oil companies & lists of
addresses
-  Sample letter to gas station owner, & from station owner to
head of company
-  Petitions to oil corporations for use with public and gas
station patrons
-  Sample letters to the editor and notable quotes
-  Names and addresses of oil company boards of directors
-  Background information on Unocal's poor environmental and
social record
-  Selective Purchasing Legislation information
-  Web sites on Burma

Campaign ideas, please feel free to come up with some of your
own:

1. Letter writing campaign. Please generate as many letters as
possible to the heads of companies and board of directors. Sample
letters and lists of addresses are enclosed.

2. Tabling. Set up a table at community or campus events to
distribute information about Burma, and inform people about the
campaign. Petitions are enclosed.

3. Demonstrations. Refer to "Organizing a Demonstration."

4. Community & Campus events. Hold a presentation, concert or
other special event to raise awareness and fundraise. Videotapes
are available about the pipeline and Burma, & speakers from the
movement may be invited to speak.  Contact us for a list of
speakers and videos.

5. Contracts with cities, states (& universities). Selective
Purchasing Legislation is now being passed by many city/state
entities prohibiting contracts with companies doing business with
Burma. Refer to "Selective Purchasing Legislation." If your
college/university holds stock in any of these companies, they can
be asked to vote for shareholder resolutions about Burma.

6. Generate Media.  Refer to "Media Tips."

7. Promote the Boycott. Be creative in finding ways to educate
people and promote their boycott of the oil companies. RFree
BurmaS t-shirts, bumper stickers, brochures and smaller stickers
are available, refer to "How to Order More."

Thank you for answering the call by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi to activists everywhere to step up their efforts
on behalf of the people of Burma!

All the Best,

Pamela Wellner Campaign Coordinator