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Trade with Myanmar lands Ericsson i



Trade with Myanmar lands Ericsson in soup

Stockholm: Jan. 14 (IANS)

Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson has become the target of an
international hate campaign for its continued business links with
Myanmar.
Despite concern voiced in the Swedish media over the violation of
democratic rights in the Asian country and wide sympathy in this nation
for the struggle of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, many Swedish firms
continue to do business with Myanmar.
But the outcry against Ericsson has been the most intense. Apart from
criticism in the Swedish press, the company has been receiving flak from
international human rights as well.
"Torture, heroin and slavery: Three reasons for boycotting the Ericssion
mobile telephones"  that was the introduction to a boycott campaign
against the company being spread via the Internet by a human rights
group of the US.
The campaign is channellised through reputed American Universities like
Berkeley, Stanford, Harvard and Santa Cruz. Also waging protests in
solidarity with them are cities in the US, Canada, Japan, France, Norway
and Denmark.
The company however justifies its presence there saying that the largest
economic grouping of the region  the Association of South- East Asian
Nations (ASEAN)  calls for " constructive engagement " of Myanmar.
Trade with Myanmar has become a highly sensitive issue in the US since
the protest movement was launched a couple of years ago. Action began as
consumer protest in Massachusetts which brought about an embargo on
trade with Myanmar and against Myanmarese products. The campaign has
since spread across the US and Western Europe.
Fear of losing markets in the US has compelled many  including Levis,
Pepsi, Tekaco, Heineken, Carlsberg, Motorola, Macy's, Reebok, Hewlett
Packard, Apple, Eastman Kodak, Seagram's and Shell  to cease operating
in Myanmar.
Beside Ericsson , other Swedish companies operating in Myanmar are
Sandvik, Atlas Copco, Volvo and electroluk, albeit in a less active
manner.
Ericsson's recent loss of a $ 43 million contract in San Francisco to
Motorola was, reportedly, the fallout its business links with Myanmar. "
It could be that or there could also be other factors." Ericsson
information director Lars Stalberg said.
Moreover, he added, the Swedish Government had not announced any
sanction against Myanmar.

>From Economy & Business
The Hindustan Time
Date 15 January 1998.