TOTAL/PetroFina "Big Move" (r)

[dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

On Thu, 3 Dec 1998, Neil McDougall wrote:

> This is a much more relevant point. I am no expert on the Total 
> involvement in Burma. However, I will make a few comments.
> 
> As far as I know Total and UNOCAL are building a pipeline to carry gas 
> from Burma to Thailand. There is nothing in principle wrong with this, 
> unless of course you are prejudiced against private companies for 
> political reasons or against the exploitation of natural resources for 
> environmental reasons.

Unocal and Total are in a partnership agreement with the junta's Myanmar
Oil and Gas Enterprise.  What is wrong is to partner with a known gangster
organization.

> 
> The next questions I would ask are: Are Total and UNOCAL directly 
> responsible for the use of forces labour and relocation of villages? Or 
> is the SPDC responsible for these violations of human rights? Does Total 
> and UNOCAL admit any responsibility for the use of forced labour or 
> support its use? Have they ever condemned such practices?

Unocal was clearly and directly warned early in their venture that forced
labor was/is endemic, and it was likely to be used on their project.  The
US Dept. of Labor, in a report released in October, concluded that the
"preponderence of evidence" supports allegations of forced labor on the
pipeline project.  This bolsters similar conclusions from AI, HR Watch,
EarthRights International, Karen Human Rights Group, etc.  Unocal and the
junta are partners.  They have equal responsibility for the forced labor.

Total and Unocal have never condemned the use of forced labor in Burma.
They only deny, in the face of evidence that others find conclusive, that
they have benefitted from the use of forced labor on the Yadana project.

> If the NLD, and Aung San Suu 
> Kyi, came to power, would they immediately call a halt to the 
> construction of the pipeline or its closure if the gas had already 
> started flowing? I would suspect not, since the revenues produced would 
> be greatly welcomed by the new government to aid the reconstruction of 
> the country. Total and UNOCAL may even be praised for the contribution 
> they were making to improving the Burmese economy. 

I think you miss the point made by the elected representatives of the
Burmese people when they say this pipeline project in partnership with the
junta strengthens the junta, thus making the possibility of the NLD coming
to power (remember, that was the choice of the Burmese electorate) more
remote.  One shouldn't ignore the effect of the project when posing
guesses about the future.

LD