Approximately 35% of foreign direct investment in Burma is in the oil and gas sector, and theoretically, the regime would starve in the absence of corporate backing. Unfortunately, losing this support is not a real threat to the junta and this presents deep problems in terms of human rights. Most corporations prioritise one legal duty above all others, and that is to maximise profit for their shareholders. If backing a murderous junta is profitable, then corporations like Daewoo and Chevron will do this in service to their bottom line. When asked if the crisis in Burma would lead the company to reconsider its billion-dollar investment in the Shwe gas deposit, a Daewoo spokesman responded, 'Politics is politics. Business is business', implying that the business of oil and gas is apolitical. Nothing could be further from the truth. Read More (PDF).

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