De Volkskrant. IHC sticks to its de

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Subject: Re: De Volkskrant. IHC sticks to its delivery to Burma

Thank you BCN, this is but another frustrating and undeserved setback
and disappointment flying in the face of the call now more than ever for
corporate governance and corporate responsability. 

It is obvious to me that Amnesty International is not the kind of
organisation to well positioned and apt to persuade companies NOT to
invest in dictatorships like Burma. And AI in the UK has made that clear
to me, as has the former AI representative L.M. who got along so
famously with TOTAL, like a sweet lapdog. 

In the world today there needs to be a joining together or a larger all
encompassing force of unity and coherence among the many groups from
Ran, Earth Rights International, Greenpeace, RSF, Medecins du Monde, AI,
and other ONGS to establish a UNIVERSALLY accepted CODE OF CONDUCT that
leaves it unequivocal what these guidelines should be.

I encourage that we ALL work together to see this sort of unity and
action of a world based group with strong network and action capacity
realize this goal of shared objectives.

Failure to do it leaves too many groups in their own corner with bad
synergy and bad coordiation. The same sort of convergence and synergy
actions of the mutlinationals should also be a part of the physical
human dynamics of ONGS fighting dictatorship in Burma.

And then, just perhaps, the IHC might have made another decision.
Certainly, the oil companies wont back off from THEIR determination to
ignore and bypass the disunited and conflicting ONG actions, when they
get something on their side, like the AI and TotalFina case. 

This is my goal and this is why EuroBurmaNet aims for and is working
towards.Its simple to understand, a global survival strategy to unite
ONGS. Its nice that antiOMC Seattle movement brought together a rally
spirit of unity, but it hasnt changed the business of business one iota. 
Read your business pages today. 

ONGS must unite today, if they are going to become effective tomorrow. 
Burma Centre Netherlands wrote:
> 
> Published todaty, December 8th, in Dutch Daily "De Volkskrant",
> circulation 350.850
> 
> IHC sticks to its delivery to Burma
> 
> >From our reporter
> 
> AMSTERDAM
> 
> IHC Caland, constructor of oil-platforms and dredgers, will not make
> about face on its new, disputed delivery to the military junta of
> Burma. "It is better that the colonels buy a dredger from us, than
> guns from someone else," is the opinion of chairperson C. de
> Ruyter.
> Member of Parliament Koenders (Pvda) (Labour, BCN) raised question
> about the sale of a cutter suction dredger to Myanmar, the former
> Burma. Labour wants to know from minister Van Aartsen (Foreign
> Affairs) and underminister Ybema (Economic Affairs) in how far the
> sale to Burma is in disagreement with (inter)national
> rules. Moreover, Labour wants to know whether there are possibilities
> to criticize IHC Holland for its selling to the military junta. For
> year humanrights organisations have been saying the regime tortures
> and executes people.
> President-director C. de Ruyter reacts light-heartedly. "As a private
> person you can have an opinion about a country as Burma. As a company
> there is no sense in that." He wants to adhere to clear rules by the
> European Union and the United Nations. "That is not an easy
> escape. But that is where the real specialists are on this field."
> According to De Ruyter, the EU and the UN disapprove of investments in
> Burma, but not sales to Burma.
> The Burma Centre is disappointed. "This sale goes one step further
> than the delivery of a gas-storage tank (for the Yetagun, BCN) last
> year," says G. Hillenius. "That one was sold to a consortium. This
> sale is direct to the colonels-government." IHC Caland maintains that
> a cutter suction dredger cannot be used to violate human rights. "One
> has a moral dilemma when one delivers poison gas or guns, not with a
> dredger," according to ceo De Duyter. But according to the Burma
> Centre the military profit from the dredger. "This way they improve
> their infrastructure. The position of farmers in Burma does not become
> better. They do not flee without reason from repression and forced
> labour." The dredger-ship will be delivered by IHC Holland, a daughter
> if the company in Schiedam. Burma paus in advance, cash 2 million
> guilders.
> IHC has for months not budged to those who critisize its
> Burma-deals. It even went against mega-investor ABP (Hollands biggest
> pensionfund, owns 3 % IHC shares, BCN) who demanded a human rights
> code from the company. This code is still not ready.