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Subject: Labor Union/Student Alliance Applauds Imposition of Sanctions on Burma Wo...

In a message dated 97-04-22 14:39:37 EDT, you write:

>Subj:	Labor Union/Student Alliance Applauds Imposition of Sanctions on Burma
>Word of S
>Date:	97-04-22 14:39:37 EDT
>From:	AOLNewsProfiles@xxxxxxx
>
>    LAKEWOOD, Colo., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The leaders of America's oil
>workers union and the umbrella group established to restore democracy in
>Burma
>today jointly applauded the Clinton Administration's decision to impose
>economic sanctions on Burma.
>          Robert E. Wages, president of the 90,000-member Oil, Chemical and
>Atomic
>Workers International Union (OCAW), said: "The decision reflects a major
>victory in the struggle to make multinational corporations accountable for
>their actions at home and abroad.  The repercussions of the decision to
>impose
>sanctions extend far beyond Burma and would not have been possible without
an
>upsurge from workers, students and community activists, along with the brave
>actions of the Burmese people in fighting repression."
>          The announcement of the sanctions occurred on the eve of the "3
>Days for
>Burma" campaign on April 22-24, which was planned by OCAW to occur at 400
>work
>places around the country and now has participation from over 60 college
>campuses and communities across the U.S.  A central focus of the 3 Days for
>Burma campaign was a petition drive calling on the Clinton Administration to
>impose sanctions on Burma.
>          Zar Ni, a Burmese exile and founder of the Free Burma Coalition,
>said, "We
>believe the mass mobilization planned for the 3 Days for Burma campaign and
>the fact that workers are joining together with students and community
>activists propelled the grass roots campaign to new heights and our voices
>were finally heard by the Clinton Administration."
>          "The theme of our campaign has become: Justice for American
Workers
>and
>Freedom for the Burmese People," said Zar Ni.
>          Zar Ni cautioned that the imposition of limited economic
sanctions,
>while
>a major victory, will not put an end to Burma's dictatorship and its
>atrocities.  "We will now concentrate our efforts on the major oil companies
>who are providing a lifeline to the dictatorship as they downsize their U.S.
>operations, lay off thousands of U.S. workers and make oil refineries
>unsafe,"
>he said.
>          In February, OCAW introduced a resolution passed unanimously by
the
>Executive Council of the AFL-CIO which called on President Clinton to impose
>sanctions and for the labor movement to become directly involved in the
>effort
>to restore democracy in Burma.  This was followed by a letter in March from
>AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to President Clinton again asking him to
>impose
>sanctions.
>      CO:  Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union, AFL-CIO
>      ST:  Colorado
>      IN:
>      SU: