Texas Burma Bill Passes Hurdle

[dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Reply-To: "W. Kesavatana-Dohrs" <dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

On May 13 the Burma "Selective Contracting" Bill was reported out of the
State Affairs Committee of the Texas House of Representitives.  The
bill, sponsored by Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Ft. Worth) now goes to the full
House.

This news, combined with Texaco's suggestion to shareholders yesterday
that it is looking for a way out of its Burma investment, suggests that
Big Oil and its friends (especially in Texas) are starting to look past
the SLORC when considering the future of the oil business in resource-rich
Burma. 

Unnoticed in most of the hoopla and reaction to Clinton's announcement of
limited sanctions was the effect this announcement has had on the
viability of selective contracting laws in cities, counties and states in
the US.  These grass roots efforts have received a big boost, and are now
virtually unstoppable.  The result is that not only ARCO, Total and
Unocal, but more particularly Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Marubeni, Daewoo,
Hyundai and others will be increasingly shut out of contract opportunities
in the US.  Then they can choose:  Do business in Burma, or do business in
the US.  It will be very difficult to do both.

Selective contracting is the ideal balance for the federal ban on US
investment.  If other companies cynically seek to take advantage of the
new US law by snapping up opportunities in SLORC's Burma (as some news
reports suggest they might), they will be locking themselves out of
opportunities in US cities and states.  Good riddance.


LD