The Companies They Keep in Burma

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/092607S.shtml

The Companies They Keep in Burma
By J. Sri Raman
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Wednesday 26 September 2007

The world has been informed in no uncertain terms of the concern of the First Family of the USA over the cause of democracy and freedom in Burma. The commitment of Washington to the corporate cause, however, has proven greater.

On September 19, Laura Bush told a UN Roundtable Discussion that the US government would take steps to ensure that the issue of democracy in Burma was "not overlooked" in the Security Council. Kristin Silverberg, US assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs, called this "incredibly ... moving." It might have been as moving as her earlier, much-quoted statement, "I am a Desperate Housewife." But it made no mention of a main pillar of support for Burma's military junta - corporate carpetbaggers.

Now comes the word that President George Bush himself has decided to take a hand in the matter and take on the junta. On September 24, US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley proclaimed that the president was to "unveil new steps" against the junta and "try and force the regime into a change." The new steps, however, did not seem to include any sanctions against US or other foreign big-money operations aimed at profiteering at the expense of the Burmese people.

Hadley told the media: "He (President Bush) is going to announce that there will be additional sanctions directed at key members of the regime, and those that provide financial support to them." But Hadley, however, acted coy about further details, pleading that he needed to preserve "a little element of surprise" so that those targeted "don't, quite frankly, hide their assets before the sanctions come into force.... So we're going to be a little bit - intentionally a little vague on what is intended, so that they will have their intended effect." The statements of Bush and his administration on the subject are even more intentionally vague about the most important source of the ill-gotten wealth of the members of the junta. The pro-democracy movement in Burma has repeatedly pointed out that the military rulers have allowed ruthless exploitation of the country's coveted oil and gas resources by multinational corporations and, in the process, enriched themselves.

The offshore activities of these corporations have made no difference to the grinding poverty of the people. Ironically, in fact, they have led to a situation where the junta ordered a 500 percent hike in fuel prices, triggering a revolt in August 2007.

The contribution of a giant US corporation to the situation has been conspicuous, according to the anti-junta camp. Prominent among the multinationals included in a "Dirty List" of such companies, brought out by the camp in December 2005, was Chevron, formally Unocal. Authors of the list noted that Chevron was one of the joint venture partners developing the Yadana offshore gas field in Burma, which earns the military regime millions of dollars. (Chevron also owns Texaco.)






AIN'T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME AROUND
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1896963


Burma is on the Brink of Revolution
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1893560

Monks killed as soldiers shoot at protesters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1910902&mesg_id=1910902

[NYC]

1. Oil & Gas.

Key words.

[seemslikeadream]

2. Oil & Gas & Cheney