US city approves anti-Slorc curbs

[nyeinchan@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The Nation July 10th

US city approves anti-Slorc curbs 



THE Californian city of Santa Cruz has become the latest in a growing 
number of American cities to pass a law banning transaction deals with 
companies that do business in Burma. 

The measure, known as the ''Free Burma Law", effectively bars contracts 
with companies which do business with Burma's ruling junta by giving a 
10 per cent bidding preference to companies that do no business with 
Rangoon, said a statement released by Santa Cruz City Council after the 
law was passed. 

The statement added that the law which takes effect from tomorrow also 
prohibits the city from investing in companies that do business in 
Burma. 

Santa Cruz is the latest in a long list of American cities, counties and 
states ­ which includes Berkeley, Madison, Santa Monica, San Francisco, 
Aladeda County and the state of Massachusetts ­ that have passed similar 
rulings. 

New York City passed such a law last month. 

In May, the US government also imposed economic sanctions against 
Rangoon, banning new American investments in Burma. The European Union 
also levied sanctions against Burma earlier this year and the British 
government last week suspended financial support for companies trading 
with Burma. 

Although most American companies and many foreign firms have withdrawn 
from Burma for various reasons, including widespread human rights 
abuses, a number continue to do business with Burma's ruling State Law 
and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). 

Companies that have continued to invest in Burma include Unocal, Total, 
Texaco, Caterpillar, Arco, Procter and Gamble, Mitsubishi and the 
Swedish firm Ericsson. 

Arco and Caterpillar could be affected by the Santa Cruz law and 
Mitsubishi and Ericsson have already lost contracts with the city of San 
Francisco valued at nearly US$250 million because of their operations in 
Burma. Procter and Gamble is the subject of a divestment campaign at the 
University of California and other major institutional investors. 

Many American citizens are also deeply concerned about the huge 
quantities of heroin coming out of Burma. According to the US State 
Department, sixty per cent of the heroin on the country's streets comes 
from Burma. Burma has more than doubled its illicit drug exports since 
Slorc seized power in September 1988. 

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly called for 
western corporation to end support for Slorc. 

She reiterated that position on March 27 in a face-to-face interview in 
Rangoon with Prof Judith White, a Santa Cruz resident who spoke to the 
city council in support of the law. 

''I was arrested in Burma in 1991 as a tourist for trying to find out if 
Mrs Suu Kyi was still alive," Santa Cruz Free Burma Coalition member Bob 
Stone said. 

''At tremendous risk to themselves, the Burmese people would take me 
aside and beg me to go back to America and tell people about the 
repression in their country. We owe it to them not to do business with 
the thugs who have stolen their freedom," he said. 



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


_______________________________________________________
Get Private Web-Based Email Free http://www.hotmail.com