The eighteen protesters, many of them Burmese held banners detailing the consequences of Total's £225 million per annum funding of the military regime, as the largest western supporter of the brutal junta.

In 2007 the military junta were able to crush the democracy protests, raid 52 monasteries, killing and imprisoning many monks. The number of Karen villages destroyed in the junta's ethnic cleansing reached 3,200 with over 1 million people displaced from all parts of Burma. The number of political prisoners jumped by hundreds to 1,864. Aung San Suu Kyi spent her 12th year under arrest, as the junta continued to ignore the international community's call for her to be released. Burma already notorious for massive forced labour and having the most child soldiers in the world, was ranked as the most corrupt country in the world in 2007. The torture of prisoners, unfair trials, rape as a weapon of war against women and children in ethnic communities continued.


Total and Burma

A detailed report on Total Oil's involvement in Burma, written by Burma Campaign UK, can be downloaded at  http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/total.html

Total is in a joint venture with the dictatorship in the Yadana gas project in southern Burma. [1]

The gas project funds the junta with hundreds of millions of dollars a year and represents a major source of foreign currency for the regime to buy weapons and finance the army.

Over 40% of Burma's GDP is spent on the military in a war against its own people.

Burma has the world's worst health care [2], the most corruption [3] and the most child soldiers [4].



Protests in London next week:

Wednesday 20th February

Meet at Burma Embassy for normal daily Burmese protest
12:00-1pm
Myanmar/Burma Embassy 19A, Charles St, London W1J 5DX.
Tube: Green Park | Map:  http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vnnbh
then go to
Total London HQ, 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
1.30pm-3:00pm
Tube: Oxford Circus | Map:  http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tylug

Thursday 21st February

5.00pm - 7.00pm
Protest at Total petrol station, Dorset House, 170-172 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5AR.
Nearest tube: Baker Street. Map:  http://preview.tinyurl.com/2sz7co



Protests are held weekly but locations may change. For information and reports on protests in London and around the country please see
 http://totaloutofburma.org


Petitions
Make sure you've signed:

- The Burma Campaign UK e-action to TOTAL:
 http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/total.html
- The Avaaz.org global pledge:  http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_corporate
- Don't Forget Burma - send a photo message to the regime:
 http://www.dontforgetburma.org


Burma Videos

Burma Campaign UK's video channel on YouTube:

- New to Burma? Watch these videos for a brief introduction
- This is Burma Music - U2, REM, Damien Rice, KT Tunstall...
- This is Burma: News and Documentaries - including Burma's Secret War
and Inside The Crackdown

 http://www.youtube.com/burmacampaignuk


Get TOTAL OIL out of Burma group on Facebook:
 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6833508763



Recent Burma news: (see  http://myamarnews.blogspot.com)


 http://www.kachinnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92:a-mother-of-three-raped-and-killed-by-burmese-soldier&catid=7:news&Itemid=11

A mother of three raped and killed by Burmese soldier

According to residents, Ms. Hpaumyang Kai was raped and killed by a soldier under Sergeant Tun Tun from a Public Relation battalion based in Myitkyina Township, capital of Kachin State.

No action has been taken against the soldier yet and he has been freed by the military authorities, added residents.

The residents and relatives of Hpaumyang Kai were told by the IB No. (298)--- that "We can't charge any of Burma Army soldiers no matter what crimes they commit ."


 http://www.khonumthung.com/kng-news/2008-news-archive/2008-news-archive/pro-democracy-activists-urge-release-of-burmese-prisoners-in-india/

New Delhi based pro-democracy Burmese activists and organizations yesterday urged the Indian government to free detained Burmese freedom fighters in a demonstration in the capital of India. The protests marked the 10th anniversary of the detention of 34 Burmese freedom fighters and murder of six at Landfall Islands, Andaman on February 11, 1998.

Ms Nandita Haksar who had been handling the case of the Burmese prisoners since 1999 said that the detainees have not received proper trial during 10 years in jail. Moreover, the prisoners were said to have been treated badly by the authorities in jail.

Confronting the government through legal means seems to be failing; Ms Haskar said and added that the help of the UNHCR is the only option possibly left to free the prisoners from jail.


 http://www.monnews-imna.com/newsupdate.php?ID=909

The Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) yesterday requested it nationals to ignore the Burmese junta's constitutional referendum and election.

The Burmese junta announced on last Saturday that they will hold constitutional referendum in May this year and will hold elections in 2010.

The MNDF said that the Burmese military government will never do what they say and will never say what they will do.

The ensuing referendum and election is just to prolong and extend the junta's life and to keep clinging to power, said a former political prisoner and MNDF leader.


 http://www.khonumthung.com/kng-news/2008-news-archive/2008-news-archive/burmese-ethnic-groups-call-for-boycott-of-regimes-road-map/

Burmese ethnic groups call for boycott of regime's road map

The United Nationalities League for Democracy (Liberated Areas) in a statement on the 61st anniversary of the Union Day on February 12 urged people in Burma to boycott the SPDC's road map and to strive for the setting up of a federal system in Burma.

Meanwhile, Shing Pe Ling, MP and Chairman of the Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD) in Mindat Township, southern Chin State, in a statement yesterday also criticized the junta's recent announcement on referendum and elections and said that it violates the Panglong agreement and denies the aspiration of ethnic nationalities for a federal system, India based Mizzima news was quoted as saying.


 http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2008/02/pro-democracy-protest-in-myanmar

Pro-Democracy Protest in Myanmar

Supporters of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi protested Tuesday to demand democracy in Myanmar, days after the military regime said it would hold elections in 2010 under a new constitution likely to entrench the junta's powerful position.

Tuesday's protest was watched by about 50 plainclothes policemen who photographed and videotaped the demonstrators. The protesters carried banners reading, 'Where are the 1990 election results?' and 'What is the 1990 election?'


 http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2008/Feb/34-Feb-2008.html

Women groups reject new elections

Chiang Mai–Women groups at home and abroad yesterday labelled the junta's proposed timetable for a constitutional referendum and general election a sheer lie to the people.

"They took a step backward from improving their international image. How can the people accept their constitution if they realize this cannot guarantee fundamental rights and ethnic rights? They are planning to lie to the whole country, we will protest against it", Khin Ohnmar, Chairman of the Thai-based Network of Democracy and Development, told Mizzima.

"A fresh election will be meaningless. The 1990 general election results must be recognized. We think this is not a good program.


 http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2008/Feb/35-Feb-2008.html

Referendum a 'sham': HRW

Without providing a civil environment respectful of basic human rights the junta's proposed referendum is a "sham", according to Human Rights Watch.

The rights to public debate, a neutral election committee and freedom of the press are just three rights fundamental to the holding of a free and fair election that the junta must guarantee, according to the international rights group.

Following a more than 14-year drafting process of the proposed constitution, which has not seen the participation of the National League for Democracy in over a decade and which Human Rights Watch argues attempts to entrench military rule, the organization is not optimistic on the prospect of change in the regime's behaviour.


 http://www.abitsu.org/?p=1330

Britain calls for Myanmar leader Suu Kyi’s immediate release

LONDON: Britain has called for the immediate release of Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s return to the military-ruled country.

“First, Aung San Suu Kyi must be released immediately and allowed to participate along with other political leaders and ethnic groups in drafting the constitution and in the subsequent referendum campaign,” Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a speech at Oxford.

“Second, the UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari should be allowed to return immediately to Burma to help facilitate the process. I believe this is an important time to reflect on the situation in Burma and to think about what the international community can do there - and elsewhere - to help people fulfil their aspirations for democratic rule,” he said.



 http://www.monnews-imna.com/newsupdate.php?ID=907

Burmese authorities force people to put up Burma's flag

Burmese junta authorities forced people to put up Burma 's flag both on their cars and at home on the 61st anniversary of Burma Union Day today said residents.

Bus owners both in Rangoon and Mon state have been forced by the authorities to put up the flag today said residents.

Union Day marks the signing of the `Panglong Agreement'' on February 12, 1947, which guarantees ethnics equal rights and self-determination.



Notes:

[1] Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democracy leader, has said that “Total is the biggest supporter of the military regime in Burma.” For more information about Total Oil's investment in Burma see the Burma Campaign UK website:
 http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/total.php.

[2] The World Health Organization's ranking
of the world's health systems:
 http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

[3] Burma joins Somalia in 179th place as the most corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International 2007 index rankings:
 http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2007/cpi2007/cpi_2007_table

[4] Human Rights Watch report on Child Soldiers in Burma:
 http://hrw.org/reports/2002/burma/Burma0902-08.htm#P1672_511418