Shwe Gas Movement Calls on International Corporations to
Suspend
Projects and Support UN Efforts for Dialogue in Burma
As the violent crackdown on people continues in military-ruled
Burma, the Shwe Gas Movement calls on multinational oil and gas companies with
investments in Burma to suspend their projects and take concrete steps to coordinate
support for the UN-sponsored efforts on reconciliation and dialogue in Burma.
In recent statements, multinational oil and gas companies operating
in Burma
have attempted to distance themselves from the military regime’s gruesome violence
and abductions of peaceful protestors. Daewoo International of South Korea claimed
“Politics is politics, eonomics is economics;” while Chevron, Total, CNOOC,
and Thailand's PTTEP separately
claimed their projects benefit the people of Burma.
“The massive protests have
conveyed the cries of the people, affirming that investments have not benefited
the people of Burma,” says Wong Aung, Global Coordinator of the Shwe Gas
Movement. “The revenue from these oil and
gas projects has armed soldiers that kill and torture peaceful protestors.”
Oil and gas is by far the regime’s largest source of
revenue. Oil and gas corporations last year provided the regime with US$2.16
billion in export revenues and an additional US$2.94 billion in Foreign Direct
Investment. Export of gas from the Shwe Gas Project in western Burma to China would double gas exports and the
project will create further abuses of the local population and environment,
according to the Shwe Gas Movement.
“The regime can not
survive without oil and gas revenue and FDI in the industry. This makes the
companies particularly responsible,” says Jockai Khaing of the Arakan Oil
Watch, a Shwe Gas Movement member. “The
world is looking at China, India and ASEAN to influence change in Burma. The Oil
and Gas industry can be just as influential and should now be called upon to
use that influence.”
“Corporations
are generally very resourceful in communicating with a wide range of private
and state actors about their business interests. They should put those skills
to supporting UN efforts and human rights,” says Naing Htoo of EarthRights. “If corporations like
Daewoo International, GAIL, CNOOC, Chevron, Thai PTTEP and others want to have
a sustainable presence in Burma, then now is the time to act.”
The Shwe Gas Movement is an international coalition of
non-governmental organizations with offices in Thailand,
India, and Bangladesh. For more information, please visit www.shwe.org.
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