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French National Assembly Parliament



Subject: French National Assembly Parliament Commission Oil Document 

WORLDWIDE TOTAL BOYCOTT SINCE 1996

I have now in my hands the 200 page document (non definitive) Petrole et
Ethique: Une conciliation possible? delivered to the French National
Assembly in discussion with Prsident Jacques Lang of the Assembly
'Compte Rendu 4).  I will be sending your excerpts shortly.

Dawn Star did not participate in the preparation of this document as
Dawn Star did not contact the parlementarians to do so, nor was Dawn
Star contacted by the Commission or contacted by Free Burma groups to do
so. 

Some Free Burma groups did however participate. I was particularly
curious to learn here that on the day of the TOTAL general assembly,
both Infobirmanie's Michel Diricq and Tyler Giannini, who I met at the
ga meeting after, did not at that time choose to mention their
participation in the Commission information gathering process. 
 I suggest earnestly that Free Burma activists organise better and prove
themselves to be more forthcoming among its sincere members. The
commission might have learned valuable information. 


Pam Wellner might have also contributed to this Commission as she has
for long been a steady advocate against Total and Unocal and other oil
companies in Burma, and is now working vigorously as a director at
International Rivers Network. She too could have told the commission a
thing or two. 

Others included in the information gathering process of the French
commission, include apart from the big heavies of the oil and gas
industry here of Elf and Total,  but also MarieLine Ramackers of Agir
ici, Bruno Rebelle, director Greenpeace France, Nouvel Observator
magazine, Francis Christophe of the OGD Drugwatch group.

Let me repeat, for your information, that as a reflection let it be
said, that Info-Birmanie for years,until recently, has been steadfast
against any TOTAL boycott activity here in France for fear of reprisals
(legal, court cases etc.,fines) which EuroBurmanet has considered a
fatal flaw, and which we affirm here, in reading the report of the
commission, has been to the detriment of Free Burma action against Total
and for democracy, for years. Certainly there is enough movement behind
the Free Burma movement to pay for fines and court penalties, as well as
the fees of human rights lawyers defrayed by  pro-human rights
interested group participation.

Well, in the prelude of this document, summary, which you should know
came immediately following an interview in the French national assembly
last week, with Michel Camdessus of the IMF.

The report refers to the TotalFina -Elf takeover as most certainly now
putting France and TOTAL in a more internationally public spotlight,
that is French culture and the image of France abroad, thus more
vulnerable to criticism by public opinion and ngos. 

In the summary, it is said, and i translate loosely : On the
international front, France might take a more leading role in
attributing personal responsibility in the international courts which
she has already by the way defended at the Rome Conference upholding the
international Penal Code.

One MP, criticized the rapport as being potentially disadvantageous to
France and thus to French national interests, and he suggested a more
balanced or moderate postition. 

MP Aubert objected to the "too much absolute defeatisme" on the part of
certain MPs in their remarks upon receiving the rapport which she hopes,
as they do, will improve the situation between FRance and Burma.