Thank You From Connecticut

[sbillenness@xxxxxxxx]

NEW ENGLAND BURMA ROUNDTABLE

THANK YOU FROM CONNECTICUT

June 5, 1997

"This is a matter of justice. This is one way of letting a business know
that what they're doing has the most profuond disapproval of many people
and the rest of the world. I'm not the only one that feels this way. I've
listened to the testimony of what's been going on in Burma. It's just very
disgusting. It's rare we get to vote on a bill of conscience." (Connecticut
State Representative Gerry Gerratana, New Britain [CT] Herald, May 27)

Connecticut's Burma selective purchasing bill cleared a key second hurdle,
passing the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee, but died at the
end of this year's legislative session on June 4. Last-minute partisan
wrangling over the state's budget resulted in 240 worthy items, such as our
bill, falling by the wayside, an unfortunate by-product of a part-time
legislature operating in a heavily populated state. The bill's chief
sponsor, Representative Jessie Stratton, plans to re-introduce the bill
next year.

Selective purchasing will be a tough sell for a number of reasons:
Connecticut is home to United Technologies, and since pre-Revolutionary
times, has profited from armaments manufacturing, national defense and the
nuclear power industry. United Technologies is also a leading member of the
US-ASEAN Business Council, one of the corporate lobbies that supports
investment with the Burmese military junta.

There's hope, though...years ago, Connecticut did take a principled stand
on South Africa. Many Connecticut legislators and citizens were moved by
the Burmese speakers who testified in support of the bill. We will be back
next year, wiser and stronger!

Thanks to all of you who made last-minute phone calls to the legislature.
It was immensely encouraging to hear from people all around the world who
took the time to call the Connecticut House Speaker as the last hours of
the legislative session wound down. We will be back in touch soon.

"If there's one lesson we have learned in the tragedies of World War II, it
is that no one has the right to ignore the sytematic repression of a
people. There are things in life that are more important than business
profit and I think that human rights sould be foremost in our minds."
(State Representative David Pudlin, New Britain [CT] Herald, May 27)

Simon Billenness
Ann Stewart
New England Burma Roundtable
c/o Franklin Research & Development Corporation
711 Atlantic Avnue, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 423 6655
(617) 482 6179 fax
sbillenness@xxxxxxxx
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