APPEAL FOR ECONOMIC & TOURISM BOYCO

[101564.2652@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: APPEAL FOR ECONOMIC & TOURISM BOYCOTT IN BURMA

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An:	Nwe Aung, 101564,2652
Datum:	12/27/96 5:44 PM

Betreff:APPEAL FOR ECONOMIC AND TOURISM BOYCOTT IN BURMA

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Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 23:38:22 +0100 (MET)
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Subject: APPEAL FOR ECONOMIC AND TOURISM BOYCOTT IN BURMA
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The following are the action groups, which initiate the boycott campaign:

Working Group for Tourism and Development, Basel
Aung San Suu Kyi Liberte, Germany
League of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ),
Federal Executive Committee, Duesseldorf
Burma Bureau, Cologne
Burma Circle Muenster, Muenster
Burma Stuetzpunkt Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M.
Burma Youth Volunteer Association, Remsfeld
Chin National Council (Europe), Hamburg
Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma, Germany
German-Burmese Association, Bruchsal
European-Burmese Association, Hamburg
Karen National Union, German Representative
Network of Engaged Buddhists, Berlin
Rettet den Regenwald e.V., Hamburg
Suedostasien Informationsstelle (SOAIS), Essen
Tourism Watch, Leinfelden-Echterdingen


APPEAL FOR ECONOMIC AND TOURISM BOYCOT IN 
BURMA (MYANMAR)                                     9. December 1996


Dear Madam, Dear Sir

You have established or are planning to establish business relations 
with Burma. Principally there can hardly be any objections against 
such a venture. On the contrary, Burma, one of the poorest countries 
of the world, desperately needs economic growth and after decades of 
isolation the Burmese people will be glad to  receive visitors 
from abroad. 

However, we would like to remind you that the country, where peoples 
of different cultural tradtions live together, is now ruled by an 
illegal military regime which tramples upon the basic human rights. 
There is no freedom of expression, no freedom of press, no freedom 
of assembly and no freedom of association in Burma today. People are 
intimidated, presecuted and arbitrarily sentenced or tortured. 
Thousands of political prisoners languish under most miserable 
conditions. And hundreds of thousands had to flee the country to 
barely survive under destitute conditions in refugee camps along the 
borders. Historico-cultural sites are restored and revamped to 
attract tourists. For the convenience of foreign visitors necessary 
infrastructures - roads, railway lines, bridges, air ports, hotels, 
holiday resorts - are improved or newly constructed. But all this 
is done by subjecting the people to forced labour and also by forced 
relocation of whole communities.

YOUR ENGAGEMENT AT THIS TIME MEANS A FALSE SIGNAL to the Burmese
people and to the democracy movement at home and abroad, because the 
main profiteers of foreign investments in Burma at present are the 
military and their coteries. Most of the income flows into their 
pockets and also serves to maintain a vast military and security 
apparatus. Anyone, who espouses the idea that a change could only be 
brought about through trade, willingly or unwillingly accepts the 
consolidation of oppression in Burma for years to come. And many 
experts who are sceptical about the efficacy of an economic boycott 
overlook the moral effect of such a step. What the movement for 
democracy with Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi at its head now 
needs is your solidarity.

We would be glad to supply you with further informations, at a  
meeting if you so wish. We will start actions and campaigns against 
companies who maintain business relations with the hated regime 
inspite of political oppression and grave human rights violations. 
The organisations named in the letter head will take the initiative.

The pressure of public opinion has resulted in the withdrawal of PepsiCo,
Motorola, Ericcson, Hewlett-Packard and the breweries Heineken and 
Carlsberg from Burma. The example of international firms like Levi Srauss, 
Reebock, Amoco or Apple Computer shows that cosiderations of human rights
can play a role in the process of economic decision making. Wente Vineyards
has broken its contacts to Burma because the company is not willing to deal
with partners who are involved in heroin trafficking, knowing that close
connections exist between the drug bosses and the Burmese military regime.
The State Massachusetts of the USA and north american cities like Berkely 
and Santa Monica do not anymore give contracts to companies that maintain 
economic relations with Burma. As a protest against the natural gas project
in Burma a Danish pension fund got rid of its holdings at the French power 
company TOTAL, because such a billion dollar investment only helps the 
generals to stabilize their power and to enrich themselves. As a result of 
the Danish action the value of TOTAL's shares dropped at the Paris Stock
Market. The International Union of Labour (IUL) with its headquarters in 
Geneva called upon the Swiss people not to travel to Berma at present. The
Australian Parliament plans to impose economic sanctions against Burma. 
The Congress of the USA and the foreign ministers of the European Union
have decided to stop issuing entry visas to the military rulers of Burma.
The European Parliament has demanded yet again on 23. 10. 1996 economic
sanctions against Burma. The resolution of EP in Strassbourg says: 
ALL INVESTMENTS,TRADE CONTACTS AND TOURISTIC ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE TERMINATED.

We call upon you to join with your business concern into this significant
chain of manifestations of solidarity and stop AT PRESENT all economic
cooperations with the rulers of Burma.


Yours sincerely




Burma Bureau, Cologne, Germany
c/o Horst Reiter, Postfach 6766, 48036 Muenster
Tel.: +49-251-30495
Fax : +49-251-36092

N.B. The campaign action groups are sending the appealing letters to the 
     firms and companies, which are doing or planning to do business with 
     the Burmese military dictators.