Dutch Daily Trouw: Dredger to Burma

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Dutch Daily Trouw, circulation 112.422

Dredger to Burma

Company-ethics
By Koos Schwartz

Amsterdam - More than a year ago IHC CEO J. Bax was intensely
critisized because the company delivered a floating storage tank to
Burma, a country with a military regime that violates human rights.
Recently, the company again did business with the disputed Asian
country: IHC Holland, a daughtercompany of IHC Caland, deliveres a
cutter suction dredger, a dredging ship.
Member of Parliament A. Koenders (Pvda) (Labour, BCN) raised questions 
to minister Van Aartsen (of Foreign Affairs) and underminister Ybema
(of Economic Affairs). Koenders wants to know whether the sale of the
boat is in disagreement with international rules. Also he wants to
know whether the government can take steps against the company about
the deal.
President-director C. de Ruyter of IHC Caland, successor of Bax,
motivates his decision: "We have thought it over very carefully."

A cutter suction dredge, what is that?
De Ruyter: "It is a dredging ship that first stirs the soil, then
sucks it up and sprays it out to somewhere."

To whom are you selling it?
"Burma does not know any private companies. You could compare the
buyer to the ministry of transport and public works. It is by the way
only a small order of several million guilders. Its sale is not of
vital importance to IHC Caland."

What were your motivations to sell to Burma?
"We have discusses the sale at length. Two questions were central. Is
it unethical for us to sell? And is it usefull not to sell? About the
first: we consider it to be a civilian deal. The boat will improve the
welfare of the country. We do not sell arms or anything like
that. Look, there are no arguments agains delivering food to
Burma. The same goes for medicines, bycicles, cars en bulldozers. So,
why not a dredger?"
"The question of whether it is usefull NOT to deliver the boat, is a
political one. If politics disapproves of the sale, we will not
sell. But politics, and I do not mean The Hague (jargon for Dutch
government, BCN) but the European Commission or an organisation such
as the United Nations, do not disapprove."
"There are many countries where there is something wrong. Maybe in
about 60 percent of all countries there is something wrong with the
government, be it in one country worse than in others. Burma is in the 
category "darkest kind of grey". But it is not black. If it were
black, then politics would forbid trade to Burma. The truth is, many
countries deal with Burma."

You think the same as your predecessor
"There is an important difference. The decision to build the
oilstorage tank was, at the time, made quickly. Now we have discussed
it at length. It is logical. If you note the amount of problems we had
last year, it would be bad management if we had not discussed it."

Have you discussed it with other organisations?
"Yes"

Who?
"I will not say"

You were asked to produce a code of conduct in which you outline how
to deal with investments in political sensitiv areas
"It is almost ready"

Your decision about the dredger is not in disagreement with the code.
"Those are your words. We will make the code public when it is
finished."





A small article was also published today in the free newspaper Metro,
disseminated at all train and busstation in the Netherlands,
circulation about 200.000.












We invite you all to send copies of the UN GA resolutions on Burma to:
IHC Caland.
President Director C. de Ruyter
Pobox 31
3100 AA SCHIEDAM
The Netherlands
phone 31-10-246 6980