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Human Rights a "feel good" gimmick



Subject: Human Rights  a "feel good" gimmick and "dicey" in Burma

Re Maxine Bernstein, The Hartford Courant, 25 March 97
<simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxx>Simon Billenness) Subject: Legislators
urged to punish companies doing business in Burma) 

We need a clear policy on Burma from the Clinton administration. There
is not a sufficiency of words to express the belatedness of Clinton's
sanctions decision still yet to come. Largely aided by well-financed Big
Business lobby, there is too much ignorance and deception in the public
area and in the legislative rooms in the debate on human rights, while
Burma slaves and suffers, and the living are killed, only after
grostesque brutality, degradation and suffering. The States must do
their work, firmly.

Human rights are essential to democracy and freedom. They are not
"dicey" or a "feel good" gimmick. And they are essential to stop this
tragedy. Democratic freedoms are based on human rights. The 1948 United
Nations Declaration of Human Rights makes this perfectly clear for the
recognition of the dignity of the human family and its children. It is
incompatible with the nature of Democracies to undermine their freedom
or compromise the human rights on individuals protected by the rule of
law. Commercial exploitation of natural resources and human labor aims
to bypass, even ignore, blatantly abusing those rights and freedoms,
while inventing elaborate and powerful schemes of investment and
control, all in the interest of extracting the most capital for
reinvestment, and luxury, while financing their extensive operations. 

No one in America really likes the Slorc regime except the most base and
perverse, bordering on intent criminality. For the others, there is no
need for them to pay for it. As Suu Kyi says, foreign investment can and
should wait, and simply not support them. Governor Weld in
Massachussettes revealed that State Legislatures are not going to
bankroll the killing drug junta and their friends in the financial and
business community.

This is why we maintain EuroBurmanet, to get information out to the
people who need and want to know what is going down in Burma, and how to
stop it. Please use the email addresses at the bottom of this page and
inform the representatives. 

Would someone please post all the names and addresses of these state
public officials.

Selective purchasing legislation provides the citizen and individual to
return to fundamental basics of his or her own democratic origin. It is
a return to origins that necessarily entail an understanding and
refreshing awareness of our responsiblity in a democratic society. We
may all extend our appreciation to Simon Billenness in Massachussettes
for his dedicated and excellent contribution. At this end of the century
rift with wars of annihilation where the human spirit triumphed against
fascism, understanding and support of the struggle in  Burma is
essential to preserving its cultural integrity, and our freedom and
liberty at home.

This story follows the sharp debate on a selective purchasing bill in
the Connecticut state legislature. State Rep. Jessie G. Stratton,
D-Canton, introduced the bill, and 12 Democrats and one Republican are
co-sponsor. (We expect to post their names and addresses, -if any one
has them, please post them)  It highlights the sharp debate with
opponents and critics led by the president of United Technologies Corp.
and  international trade investment officials, who criticize the measure
as a "feel-good" gimmick that could discourage companies from relocating
to the
> state. Bill critics, largely free-trade advocates, say the state should not
> play a role in foreign policy. 

 "If the United States is going to do something, it should come from
Washington," said Joseph F. Brennan, vice  president of legislative
affairs for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association...Where do
you draw the line? Foreign policy gets just a little dicey when you get
individual states passing these laws."
>
> State Rep. Jessie G. Stratton, D-Canton, introduced the bill, and 12
> Democrats and one Republican are co-sponsors. If it becomes law,
> Connecticut would become the second state in the nation to pass sanctions
> against Burma. Massachusetts adoped a similar bill last year.

Connecticut state officials said they did not have a listing of
companies with business ties to Burma.

> "One law passed by one state will not end the suffering and oppression of
> the people of Burma," Weld, a Republican, said, "but it is my hope that
> other states and the Congress will follow our example, and make a stand for
> the cause of freedom and democracy around the world."

> Backers of the bill also point to pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi,
> a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has called for stiff sanctions against
> her country's government.

> The lack of understanding and awareness on Burma needs to be overcome but lets ensure that each state representative gets a listing of companies with business ties to Burma. 
There are many postings of this on the Nets various burma sites for
downloading and printing, 

http://www.soros.org/
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~schmidtb/burma.html
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/ 
http://freeburma.org/
http://danenet.wicip.org/fbc/freeburma.html


And if "feel good", whats wrong with that? 

"What if they tried, maybe they'd see
It'll do a little good and 
and let the world be free..."  (Offspring)


dawn star
EuroBurmanet (Paris)
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/