| Boycotting Teak and Other Burmese Goods |
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| Monday, 20 February 2006 | |
UpdateU.S. Law Ends Direct Imports of Burmese Teak; Transhipments May Continue What do teak, shrimp, luggage, gems and birdseed have in common?They are all made in Burma, where one of the most repressive and brutal regimes in the world routinely uses forced labor and violence to control villagers and ethnic minorities. American consumers, knowingly or not, buy into this repression when they buy goods made in Burma. In the case of teak, they are also abetting in the destruction of Southeast Asiaís last frontier forests and the loss of most of the worldís teak trees. The democracy movement in Burma has asked the citizens of the U.S. and of the world to stop supporting the military dictatorship of Burma. The U.S. already has sanctions prohibiting new investments in Burma, but imports from Burma are actually growing. The time has come to increase the pressure on the military regime, to weaken it economically. International pressure is working. It is possible the regime will soon come to the bargaining table with the democratically elected party and ethnic minorities of the country to achieve peace and a lasting political settlement for Burma." Boycotting Teak and Other Burmese Goods Big Teak Consignment Negotiated from Myanmar EarthRights International has written to major importers and distributers of teak asking them to eliminate their tacit support for forced labor and the Burmese dictatorship by stopping imports of Burmese teak. So far, the companies have not responded.
Annual rates of U.S. imports from Burma, Jan. 2000 to June 2001Item: Annual rate
What You Can Do To Support Democracy and Stop Forced Labor in BurmaIf you want to support democracy, protect the environment and stop forced labor in Burma, don't buy apparel, teak, luggage, shrimp, gems or birdseed from Burma. Join the Campaign to Stop Imports of Burmese Teak:
How Do You Know If Itís Teak From Burma? Some distributors may admit that their products originated in Burma. But if a salesperson tells you that the teak was "made in Thailand," assume that the wood grew in Burma. Thailand has banned logging for the past decade, and imports at least 40% of all teak logged in Burma. In fact, almost all high-end teak products -- furniture, veneers, etc. -- come from Burma, home of the worldís last stands of old teak forests. Other teak-producing countries like Indonesia, Costa Rica, and Brazil, harvest much younger trees from plantations. Plantation teak is relatively cheap. Expensive teak furniture made in many European countries also originates in Burmaís forests. If it's teak, and it's expensive, it's a safe bet that it came from Burma. If it's not that expensive, the chances are still better than 50/50 that it came from Burma. Currently, US companies import about $8 million worth of teak directly from Burma, and at least $25 million of Burmese teak from Thailand and other third-party countries. In addition, the US imports an unknown quantity of teak from China and other third-party countries that is smuggled out of Burma and does not appear on shipping records. This money goes to prop up the military dictatorship in Burma, in contradiction to the U.S. policy of pressuring the regime through sanctions. The Burmese government is notorious for its widespread use of forced labor. Villagers, especially ethnic minorities such as Karen and Shan, are forced to carry heavy loads, clear roads, and grow food for battalions of soldiers, who often torture, rape and even kill villagers who do not comply with their demands. A U.S. Federal Executive Order identifies teak and shrimp among products likely to be made using child and/or forced labor in Burma. Burma holds some 70% of the world's teak forests, and accounts for about 80% of the teak on the global market. At the current rate of logging, most of Burma's teak trees will be gone in just one generation. In today's Burma, environmentalists dare not protest against unsustainable logging or clearcutting ñ forest protection will have to wait for a transition to democracy. Meanwhile, an international boycott of teak is a stay of execution for this valuable, beautiful and unique tree. Teak is used mainly for outdoor furniture, flooring and decking. For all uses, Burmese teak is a luxury item, and can be replaced by other materials, including plantation-grown teak from other countries. The National Labor Committee, Students United Against Sweatshops and the Free Burma Coalition are pressuring major labels and retailers to stop sourcing apparel in Burma. A boycott of Burmese teak, shrimp, luggage, gems and birdseed will complete the strategy. Current Sanctions Against Burma The US and the international community has a number of sanctions in place against Burma, and additional meaures are planned. The 1997 Burma Sanctions Law prohibits new investments in Burma. Investments made previous to 1997, such as Unocal's notorious Yadana pipeline project, are grandfathered in. A January, 2001 Executive Order orders all federal agencies buying from Burma to determine whether certain items are made from forced labor. The International Labor Organization, for the first time ever, has asked all member nations to take measures against Burma for its widespread use of forced labor. We Need to Ban Trade With Burma Despite these measures, which have the support of the Aung San Suu Kyi and the Democracy movement in Burma, imports of Burmese goods into the US have increased in recent years, providing additional income to the Burmese military. As of September, 2001, 16 U.S. Senators and 22 Congressman are supporting a Burma Import Ban Bill to close the enormous loophole in U.S. efforts to promote democracy in Burma. This bill, known in the Senate as S.926 and in the House as H.2211, is co-sponsored by North Carolina Republican Jesse Helms and Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, among others. You can support this effort by contacting your Senators and Congressional Representatives and letting them know of your support for the Burma Freedom Act. For more information see the Free Burma Coalition site. EarthRights International has written to major importers and distributers of teak asking them to eliminate their tacit support for forced labor and the Burmese dictatorship by stopping imports of Burmese teak. So far, the companies have not responded.
Letter to Teak ImportersTed Vollstead, President April 2, 2001 We are writing to alert you to the possibility that teak products imported from Burma by your company have been associated with child or forced labor, and to request that you refrain from importing teak from Burma while it remains under the rule of the current military regime. In a January 5th, 2001 Executive Order, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury and State wrote that, "Based on recent, credible, and appropriately corroborated information from various sources, the Department of Labor, the Department of State, and the Department of the Treasury have concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the following products, identified by their country of origin, might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor: Bamboo(Burma) Beans (including yellow, soya, and green beans) (Burma) Bricks (hand-made) (Burma, Pakistan) Chilies (Burma) Corn (Burma) Pineapples (Burma) Rice (Burma) Rubber (Burma) Shrimp (aquaculture)(Burma) Sugarcane (Burma) Teak (Burma) (emphasis added)." The Order goes on to state that: "federal contractors who supply products on the list are required to certify, among other things, that they have made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produce the item." Regardless of whether you have federal contracts, we believe it is your moral duty to avoid association with products that may have been produced with child labor, forced labor, and/or without consideration for the environment and local communities. The Burmese military junta is one of the most brutal and lawless in the world today. Their word alone cannot be taken as assurance that wood has been harvested sustainably or that child and forced labor has not been used. In addition, providing revenue, especially hard currency, to Burma at this time serves to prop up an illegitimate and repressive regime. The leaders of the democratically elected party of Burma, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have asked U.S. and other western firms not to invest in Burma. In the U.S., consumer boycotts have been initiated against companies sourcing apparel from Burma. EarthRights International is a non-profit organization with offices in the U.S. and Thailand. For five years, we have monitored the human rights and environmental situation in Burma. Our research confirms what many U.S. companies have determined for themselves - there is no way to do business in Burma without abetting the violation of human rights. Again, we urge you to cease importation of teak from Burma, and we look forward to a response to this request. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, Katie Redford, Esq., Director Letter to Teak RetailerBobbie Lopatin, President Dear Ms. Lopatin, We are writing to alert you to the possibility that teak products imported from Thailand by your company have been associated with child or forced labor in Burma, and to request that your company refrain from importing Burmese teak while it remains under the rule of the current military regime. As you are probably aware, there has been a ban on logging in Thailand since 1989. Most teak products exported from Thailand are made from Burmese teak. In a January 5th, 2001 Executive Order, the U.S. Departments of Labor, State and Treasury wrote that, "Based on recent, credible, and appropriately corroborated information from various sources, the Department of Labor, the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury have concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the following products, identified by their country of origin, might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor: Bamboo (Burma), Beans (including yellow, soya and green beans) (Burma), Bricks (hand-made) (Burma, Pakistan), Chilies (Burma), Corn (Burma), Pineapples (Burma) Rice (Burma) Shrimp (aquaculture) (Burma) Sugarcane (Burma) Teak (Burma). (emphasis added)." The Order goes on to state that: "federal contractors who supply products on the list are required to certify, among other things, that they have made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produced the item." Regardless of whether you have federal contracts, we believe it is your moral duty to avoid association with products that may have been produced with child labor, forced labor, and/or without consideration for the environment and local communities. The Burmese military junta is one of the most brutal and lawless in the world today. Their word alone cannot be taken as assurance that wood has been harvested sustainably or that child and forced labor has not been used., In addition, providing revenue, especially hard currency, to Burma at this time serves to prop up an illegitimate and repressive regime. The leaders of the democratically elected party of Burma, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have asked U.S and other western firms not to do business in Burma. In the U.S. and Europe, consumer boycotts have been initiated against companies sourcing goods in Burma. EarthRights International is a non-profit organization with offices in the U.S. and Thailand. For five years we have monitored the human rights and environmental situation in Burma. Our research confirms what many U.S. companies have determined for themselves: there is no way to do business in Burma without abetting the violation of basic human rights. Again, we urge you to cease the importation of teak from Burma, including products manufactured in Thailand from Burmese teak, and we look forward to a response to this request. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, Katie Redford, Esq. , Director |
