Burma is the only country in the world for which the international trade
union movement calls for disinvestment. The newest ICFTU report on investment
and trade with Burma is essentially a research overview, based on facts and
details complied from over 40 different sources (news items, reports by
governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and individual
researchers). It demonstrates conclusively that investing in Burma is not
possible without the agreement of the junta. It also shows how the regime
systematically steers business operations, especially the most profitable,
towards joint ventures with state-owned companies.
The "secretive and corrupt" business environment in Burma lacks all forms of
transparency, according to the report. Whether or not companies are directly
owned by the military makes no real difference. Where the former are owned by
the army, many of the latter are owned by high ranking military figures, in
their "private capacity", or by their relatives and cronies. Over the last 15
years the military dictatorship in Burma has moved itself into a position of
virtual control over all aspects of the business sector.
Figures quoted in the report indicate an overall reduction in investment in
Burma over the last few years. More and more people, companies and countries are
recognising that investing in or trading with Burma makes no sense - either in
moral nor in business terms. Regrettably, a small number of neighbouring
countries, in part because of regional power-plays, refuse to follow that trend.
Business interests from China, India, Thailand and some of the other
neighbouring ASEAN countries are stepping in where others are moving out.
The report provides numerous concrete examples of what the Burmese junta
spends the income on, for example over 40% of its national budget goes to
military expenditure. It also recalls the army's responsibility for a host of
human rights abuses, including the widespread and continuing use of forced
labour. The report also highlights what the government does not do with the
money, spending only 0.3% of GDP on health care.
Among the many different topics covered by the report, the ICFTU also
addresses issues such as corruption, transparency, drug traffic and arbitrary
taxation, as well as the junta's bogus claims that economic sanctions affect "18
million workers".
The ICFTU has also updated its list of companies with business links to
Burma. This list now contains the names of around 440 multinational enterprises.
The addition of new companies is the result of continuous research, and not an
actual indicator of increased corporate interest in Burma. Some of the better
known new names are China PetroChemical Corp.(Sinopec), China Telecom, Lloyd's
of London, Rolls Royce and the State Bank of India.
Many large multinational companies have left the country over the last few
years. However, some companies, such as South-Korea's Daewoo International,
Austrian Airlines, SWIFT (Belgium), Total (France), Unocal (USA), Suzuki (Japan)
or Ivanhoe Mines (Canada) still maintain their links with Burma.
As a country, Burma continues to be one of the worst human and workers rights
offenders in the world. In spite of some minor positive steps in recent years,
partly the result of international pressure, very little has fundamentally
changed in the way the Burmese dictators treat their citizens. Claims of
progress made by the military have been merely cosmetic, and are followed by a
new wave of brutal repression. This repression includes violence against
religious and ethnic minorities, forced relocation, beatings, child labour, rape
and murder. All of them continue on a daily basis. A high number of political
prisoners remain in prison. Forced labour, one of the largest problems, is still
routinely resorted to by the military.
The database on companies linked to Burma, including specific information for
each company, as well as background information on this initiative, can be found
on the ICFTU web site at: http://www.global-unions.org/burma
The report on multinationals companies and Burma can be found here:
http://www.icftu.org/www/PDF/Burma-ICFTUReport-January.pdf
The ICFTU represents 148 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in
150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions:
http://www.global-unions.org