Burma Protest over Total Oil at French Embassy

Whilst this campaign is exposing human rights abuses by a the Burmese military dictatorship, and the complicity in these human rights abuses by a multinational oil corporation, I think it is unwise for a resistance group to be hedging their bets for freedom on one person who is backed by a cartel of western states with a long history of imperialism.

There are plenty of non-oil rich brutal dictatorial states which somehow get overlooked by western states when it comes to human rights. The truth is that western states masquerade as being concerned with human rights abuses when really they are looking for an excuse to topple regimes to impose Friedmanite free-market liberalism, opening up new markets and cheap labour/resources for western corporations to exploit. When the revolving doors between industry and government are exposed it can clearly be seen that western leaders are lining their own pockets.

Such economic policies have ravaged numerous countries leaving tens of millions in poverty whilst conveniently redistributing wealth from the poor to the rich. Invasions are the latest chapter in the tactics used to impose such policies (Disaster Capitalism), the latest being Iraq where their oil industry and national assets have been carved up for privatisation, and industrial unions resisting such economic pillaging have been targeted with assassinations. Read "the Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein for further information.

The brutal military dictatorship in Burma, would be delighted for people on Indymedia to think of Aung San Suu Kyi, as a "tool of western imperialism" - that's what they are always telling the Burmese people in their propaganda. Just today their thugs were trying to make her NLD party look like terrorists, by spreading fake "bombing" NLD papers outside their office. Most prominent members of the NLD are already political prisoners with long sentences, but regime thugs have many dirty tricks to arrest more.

 http://myamarnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/papers-distributed-in-front-of-nld.html

I wish that everything that happens in the world did not have to be seen as revolving around America and the west, but I suppose it is a legacy of "imperialism" and Iraq. Heroic social struggles around the world should be respected in their own right. The Burmese people and ethnic groups clearly don't need any outside interference to be upset with and opposed to the brutal junta.

It is a risk that so much depends on Aung San Suu Kyi. Just yesterday as well as remembering the 19th Anniversary of her party's landslide win in the unhonoured 1990 elections, the Burmese were also remembering the 6th Anniversary of the Depayin Massacre, in which junta thugs attacked Aung San Suu Kyi last time she was free and killed 70 of her supporters. As usual in Burma, the victims of violence are the ones who end up in prison and that was the pretext for her last 5 years of dentention. The junta thugs tried to kill her then. Burmese are afraid that when she is in prison the junta will control her diet and make her ill, to get rid of her in a more subtle way.

Cruel Divide and Rule
=====================

By far the most horrible but successful tactic of the brutal military dictatorship has been a divide and rule tactic against the ethnic minorities. The Burmese military attacks the most vulnerable of ethnic groups to bully and coerce them into ceasefires, then forces the ceasefire group to attack other ethnic groups or remaining resistance in their own ethnic group. Villagers and poor people in towns are having their children and young people kidnapped or coerced into the military front lines all the time eg.

Over 3200 Karen villages have been destroyed by the junta, here's how they are currently recruiting soldiers to fight them:
 http://myamarnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/villagers-flee-from-dkba-troops-out-to.html

It drives the military dictatorship nuts, that Aung San Suu Kyi is regarded as a hero and trusted not just by the Burmese, but by all the ethnic groups (and even many ceasefire groups) that the junta is fighting. The regime is not interested in real reconciliation with their opponents, but they are very afraid of Aung San Suu Kyi as a unifying figure that would be trusted by ethnic groups and Burmese in any real reconciliation process. So they make sure their new constitution bars her from election (she had a foreign husband, though he died years ago and she has not had years of military service) and are scared of her even being free before their sham 2010 elections.

It's not just democracy activists, western states and celebrities that express support at this time for Aung San Suu Kyi:
Support for her from The Communist Party of Burma (CPB)
 http://myamarnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/lightning-protest-movement-should-be.html
Official from United Wa State Army (UWSA) supporting Aung San Suu Kyi
[some of their officials are on America's wanted lists for drug trafficking used to finance their resistance. They are the ethnic group closest to China so they are best able to stand up to the junta]
 http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2526

The military also has a version of this divide and rule tactic especially for Muslims. They confiscate land from the Rohingya and create township settlements with outsiders (who are often forcibly moved themselves as the junta relocates people just to keep them weak and poor). These "model townships" are then encouraged to harass, steal and rape them. When the victims report any crimes, they are usually the ones who end up in prison. There are refugee camps in Bangladesh that have been amongst the saddest in the world (eg. flooding at high tide let alone all the persecution the refugees face) - I think there have been some improvements in the last 2 years, but you mainly just hear about camps on the border with Thailand.
 http://myamarnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/plight-of-rohingya-forgotten-hrw-report.html


Milestones
==========

I'm losing count but there has been at least 37 UN envoy visits to Burma. They seem to think it is some sign of success to be allowed to meet someone from the junta and pose for a photograph. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the political prisoners is now seen by many as a milestone needed to pin down the UN and world leaders, before they can be judged to be making progress in Burma. If they just visit Burma and say some "nice" words afterwards it mustn't be judged as having achieved anything.


Foreign gas vampires funding dictatorship in Burma
==================================================

While western states and leaders voice support for Aung San Suu Kyi, it is the dollars from the likes of French Total Oil and US Chevron, that has been largely responding for funding the military junta and keeping them in power in the last 15 years. The Yadana gas pipeline in which Total is lead operator and Chevron (Texaco) a major partner, is worth about a billion dollars a year to the regime. Gas earnings are about 50% of the junta foreign currency earnings. Ridiculous exchange rates are used so this doesn't contribute much to spending on the Burmese people, but is used to finance the military war on the Burmese people and ethnic minorities and their fortress of a new capital. With this gas money, the generals don't mind the poverty of the Burmese people, it allows them to be independent of their suffering.

Western leaders make many fine statements, but the Burmese find that the oil and gas interests of Total and Chevron (Texaco) seem to be far more important to them in practice. I appreciate you won't be at all surprised.


The Monks
==========

Apart from Aung San Suu Kyi, the monks are also a highly respected potential unifying force in Burma. As they take alms from the people, they are very close to the people and most Burmese depend on them for healthcare and help in time of need. They were supported by Muslims, Christians and Hindus during the uprising. You saw what happened even to them during the 2007 Saffron Uprising. At this time one of their leaders U Gambira has been staging his own protest in prison, but the world hardly knows about him compared to Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi has over 2,100 known fellow political prisoners ( http://www.fbppn.net/), but if we can't get real freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi who is so well known, it is even harder to help them.

 http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/2205-u-gambira-transferred-to-kalay-prison-.html

The National Endowment for Democracy, an unashamed arm of US Imperialism are open in their support of Aung San Suu Kyi
see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy


"NED has been able through its direct grants programme to support the dissidents, to support the democracy movement of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, particularly through assistance to the groups along the borders in Thailand and in India, including twice daily radio programming through the Democratic Voice of Burma (author's comment: based in Scandinavia), newsletters, underground newspaper, underground labour organising, particular programmes to foster inter-ethnic co-operation and unity among the opposition forces in support of Aung San Suu Kyi's call for tripartite dialogue and national reconciliation."
Ms.Louisa Coan, NED's Programme Officer for Asia
Source:  http://www.iefd.org/articles/ned_of_us.php

The refugees on the border with Thailand, get protection from the Thai Government, but the Thai Government provides no aid to them. It is also illegal for them to work. So the refugees are very dependent on foreign aid. There are many different organizations involved in helping them, some no doubt have their own agenda, though most seem to do wonderful work.

The Democratic Voice of Burma are the video journalists risking their lives in Burma. Virtually all the 2007 Saffron Revolution video you saw on the news, was from their video journalists. It's extremely dangerous and they lose a lot of very brave people. Anyone can donate to them on their website.

 http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/burma_vj
 http://english.dvb.no/about.php


US and European governments "support" for Aung San Suu Kyi and freedom in Burma, is completely hypocritical. Their oil companies have been massively fueling the oppression in Burma since the mid 1990's. The Yadana gas pipeline contributes about a billion dollars per year to the military junta. Burma's gas exports contribute about 50% of their foreign currency earnings, with Yadana being the main gas field so far. Burma is ranked as the 2nd most corrupt country in the world (in 2007 they were joint first with Somalia) according to Transparency International. Ridiculous exchange rates are used by the military to steal this gas money and use it to oppress the ethnic minorities, Burmese people and of course build the military's new fortress of a capital.

At totaloutofburma.org we campaign against French Total Oil's involvement in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi herself described Total as "the biggest supporter of the military regime in Burma". They are the lead operator of the Yadana gas pipeline contributing hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the regime. Their investment led to military bases in an area of Burma that had not known conflict before, villages were displaced and Burmese used as forced labour to build military bases for the pipeline. French Total Oil's collaboration with the military junta has played a big part in keeping the military in power since the mid 1990's.

Chevron (Texaco) is Total's major US partner in the Yadana gas pipeline, with nearly as big a share. In Europe we campaign against Total, but in the US, Burmese and solidarity groups campaign against Chevron. This week a trade union in the US attended the Chevron AGM and tried to get Chevron to disclose its criteria for staying in Burma. Easy huge profits, lousy ethics and not enough people caring about their fueling oppression if you ask me !

Chevron determined to retain investments in Burma - 28 May 2009
 http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/2215-chevron-determined-to-retain-investments-in-burma.html

Earth Rights International report on Chevron's involvement in the Yadana Gas pipeline: Report "The Human Cost of Energy" April 2008:
 http://www.earthrights.org/files/Reports/HCoE_final.pdf