Read the Inquirer editorial, Battle for Burma, and Alex Magno’s column, Emergency. Asia Sentinel has Horror in Burma, and asks, Where are Burma’s Monks?
The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burma Protests page has continuous updates. So does More on Burma in the Guardian Unlimited.
In terms of legit business, Burma junta trade legally with any Western nation and Asian nation in gas and in diamonds!
So freezing trade with them at least on those 2 legit businesses could contribute eventually to undermining Burma junta living although am sure they’ve hoarded so much money abroad already so that if they are forced to fly out, they’d continue living like kings.
They should not be allowed to leave to avoid their accessing their bank accounts. If they have to be toppled, they must be charged, indicted and punished IN Burma so new govt could re-claim the Junta members’ individual ill gotten wealth.
cvj,
re I gather that the mining sector is what’s driving the Philippine economy as well.
Your graph in your blog shows that and that was one of my concerns…
Am pretty sure many of our Manila matrons can boast of at least possessing a piece of jewelry mounted with a Burmese diamond, i.e., ruby, saphire, etc.
In terms the Junta members accessing their bank accounts, i think Singapore (and other financial centers) has to agree to waive its bank secrecy laws (which i hear are more stringent than that of Switzerland’s) in preparation for a future freezing of assets.
Hey guys, guess who’s hand is it that rocks the cradle?
US Multinational Oil Giant Chevron Fuels The Brutal Regime In Burma
Harry Oo
Fueling the military junta that has ruled for decades are Burma’s natural-gas reserves, controlled by the Burmese regime in partnership with the U.S. multinational oil giant Chevron, the French oil company Total and a Thai oil firm. Offshore natural-gas facilities deliver their extracted gas to Thailand through Burma’s Yadana pipeline. The pipeline was built with slave labor, forced into servitude by the Burmese military.
The original pipeline partner, Unocal, was sued by EarthRights International for the use of slave labor. As soon as the suit was settled out of court, Chevron bought Unocal.
Chevron’s role in propping up the brutal regime in Burma is clear. According to Marco Simons, U.S. legal director at EarthRights International: “Sanctions haven’t worked because gas is the lifeline of the regime. Before Yadana went online, Burma’s regime was facing severe shortages of currency. It’s really Yadana and gas projects that kept the military regime afloat to buy arms and ammunition and pay its soldiers.”
cvj, then, perhaps the courts in Brussels (Kingdom of Belgium laws not EU) can do the job that is if the Burmese files lawsuits against the Junta guys and obtain proper court ruling ordering a bank to open its records a bit???… just a thought.
Yeah… can see the uphill battle a new Burmese govt would have to face.
“re I gather that the mining sector is what’s driving the Philippine economy as well.
Your graph in your blog shows that and that was one of my concerns…”
Yes. Even gigantic food conglomerate San Miguel is investing in it.
Ramrod,
Yeah Chevron and Total arm in arm!
But if any consolation, Total has been ordered by Pres Sarkozy to freeze investments in Burma.
French outfit I think has started closing down some of the operations in some areas there to comply with order.
“But if any consolation, Total has been ordered by Pres Sarkozy to freeze investments in Burma.” -mbw
They should. No point in their people protesting to high heavens while their industrialists hold hands with the junta boy toys. What did uncle Sam do?
Uncle Sam? Don’t know – heaven’t heard Uncle Bush mouth something specific as that yet, i.e., asking Chevron to freeze investments.
when it comes to oil and gas, there’s no such thing as sanctions for these people. it’s all about the money. the present junta in burma is actually very advantageous for some multinationals – just talk to the guy in charge and you’re set.
harry clay
Should be easier for Bush, shouldn’t it? He’s got friends in the oil industry… Wait, that might be the reason we haven’t heard him say something as specific as that publicly, coz of his friends? (Btw, where is Cheney?)
In her latest junket,Gloria Pidal received a scroll on “The Seven Social Sins” by Mahatma Gandhi.
Mrs.Pidal,I hope you read what is written in the Scroll of The Seven Social Sins:
Quoted by Mahatma Gandhi in “Young India”, 1925
1)Politics without principles
2)Wealth without work
3)Pleasure without conscience
4)Knowledge without character
5)Commerce without morality
6)Science without humanity
7))Worship without sacrifice
Gloira Pidal:Quo Vadis?
Conjunctivitis!
I Harry, just for you I copied the whole list of spells in my pc.
mr. shoot from the hip from texas is busy with iraq and how to make money. mr. quack quack cheney is busy with hunting. it’s been a tried and tested idea that when the heat is rising, these multinationals back down, when the issues dies down, they back to back. it’s how things work.
harry clay
Wow! Reciting those in front of Indians? Wow! The nerve. Did any Indian journalist ask questions?
tdc,
Wow! You just enumerated the sins of several senators, most of the congressmen, and a few tycoons, and of course presidential families.
ramrod:
the conjunctivitis curse. i’ve read that you hail from cebu? it’s good to see a province mate in here.
harry clay
“but it look so good in the brochures…”
Hi, just bought a white macbook after three months of looking around. It’s thousands cheaper than in stores, brand new. Now, the curious thing is, I know a new Mac OS will come out in a couple of weeks. I also know a new macbook design, probably aluminum (yummy) will come right after, and supposedly competitively priced (aggressive is the word Apple used). But why did I buy now? Ayokong manakaw.
“manolo, since you are teaching (at Letran?), why don’t you assign some of your research projects on history (e.g. philippine territory during Spanish times) to your students? for bonus points?”
They allow undergrads to teach in Letran?
Re: Burma
The international community should stop applying embargoes. Instead go after the leaders, not through assassination but attaching an official stigma to these leaders. For example if the US and Europe threaten PGMA and family a permanent ban on entry, they’ll think twice before doing what they’re doing now. No visas for the corrupt.
Latest:
Junta leader Than Shwe has announced that he is prepared to meet jailed opposition leader San Suu Kyi …
provided she met certain government-dictated conditions, including ending her support for sanctions on Burma.
Than Shwe is known to harbour a visceral hatred for Suu Ki, so his offer is seen by Burmese opposition activists as only another trick to divert attention from a continuing crackdown on dissidents and monasteries. Homes in Rangoon and Mandalay and a number of monasteries were again raided in the early hours of today.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=9006
harry,
I think I remember this fat guy talking about that on tv (awful truth stuff) and there was a movie exactly about this issue shown on cable tv starring this guy from “Foot Loose” and “Hollow Man”
“provided she met certain government-dictated conditions, including ending her support for sanctions on Burma.” – mbw
Destabilization, she’s guilty of destabilization against the strong republic of Burma!
“The international community should stop applying embargoes. Instead go after the leaders, not through assassination but attaching an official stigma to these leaders. For example if the US and Europe threaten PGMA and family a permanent ban on entry, they’ll think twice before doing what they’re doing now. No visas for the corrupt.” – BrianB
ah but some leaders of other countries came into power with the auspices of some western countries. look at marcos and how the us literally siphoned him and his family out of the philippines, i.e., using us military transport. we cannot discount the fact that us, and some countries in europe need some leaders for trade, for strategic and defense purposes, even if these leaders are persona non grata.
Brian,
Re: “For example if the US and Europe threaten PGMA and family a permanent ban on entry, they’ll think twice before doing what they’re doing now. No visas for the corrupt.”
Europe (or I suppose US for that matter though not sure of US) can only do that if the country’s people themselves have exhausted all legal avenues toward prosecuting the corrupt or if the Filipino people do the same thing as the Burmese.
Inasmuch as that is not happening, i.e., similar to Burmese people uprising, there’s not much Europe or the US for that matter can do.
There has to be an overt expression by the Filipino people at home through uprising against our corrupt leaders for a Western govt to declare these corrupt leaders persona non grata.
Europe has done this already against a few leaders here and from Africa. But they could do that because the people rose against these corrupt leaders and with proof showed that their leaders were corrupt.
Sadly, we have to go by this moral rule of law no matter how individually bad we feel.
“We can only do as much as supporting the cause and us being morale boosters to the Burmese people. Other than that, we are helpless in a sense that we cannot involve ourselves too deep in the matter because it’s the fight of the Burmese people, not ours.”
—————————————–
couldn’t agree for more
Ramrod, Heheheh! That’s why Shwe hates her!
“The international community should stop applying embargoes. Instead go after the leaders, not through assassination but attaching an official stigma to these leaders. For example if the US and Europe threaten PGMA and family a permanent ban on entry, they’ll think twice before doing what they’re doing now. No visas for the corrupt.†– BrianB
ah but some leaders of other countries came into power with the auspices of some western countries. look at marcos and how the us literally siphoned him and his family out of the philippines, i.e., using us military transport. we cannot discount the fact that us, and some countries in europe need some leaders for trade, for strategic and defense purposes, even if these leaders are persona non grata.
Brian,
In the same vein and following Ramrod’s thought above (transposing here):
““Europe can only do as much as supporting the cause and us being morale boosters to the Philippine people. Other than that, Europe are helpless in a sense that they cannot involve themselves too deep in the matter because it’s the fight of the Philippine people, not theirs.â€Â
Ooops sorry that was Rego’s thouhgt pala di si Ramrod…
“We can only do as much as supporting the cause and us being morale boosters to the Burmese people. Other than that, we are helpless in a sense that we cannot involve ourselves too deep in the matter because it’s the fight of the Burmese people, not ours.†-karah
excellent and i agree 101%, yes, it’s an internal matter. how will the people of burma learn to fight for their freedom if they won’t take it upon themselves to fight for it
harry clay
I think every bit of support helps. We’re all connected you know.
“if cardinal rosales yelled at the president she should resign, then piously tells the people let’s move on, i think he can be taken to task vs. another bishop who might say, consistently, forget politics, period and another bishop who consistently has something strong to say vs. say gambling and abductions. ”
Manolo,
Sa aking palagay wala kay Cardinal Rosales ang problema. Nasa Vatican at yung panunungkulan ni Pope Benidict VI (?)Yung Papa ang nag utos sa mga cardinal na wag makialam sa politika. Tapagpagpatupad lang si cardinal Rosales sa kautusang yan.
“I think I remember this fat guy talking about that on tv (awful truth stuff) and there was a movie exactly about this issue shown on cable tv starring this guy from “Foot Loose†and “Hollow Man— -ramrod
you referring to kevin bacon? the thing you watched, is that one of those documentaries they air on tv? there are also instances that these documentaries twist and add something to the truth more than the truth itself.
harry clay
Harry, that’s an unfair statement “how will the people of burma learn to fight for their freedom if they won’t take it upon themselves to fight for it”, thoroughly unfair!
The Burmese, just like the Filipinos have never stopped fighting for their freedom, be it against their colonial rulers or against their home grown tyrants.
When it comes to fighting for freedom, the Burmese have nothing to be ashamed of – they have gone through several bloody uprisings in modern history, perhaps more than modern Pinas ever had!
“excellent and i agree 101%, yes, it’s an internal matter. how will the people of burma learn to fight for their freedom if they won’t take it upon themselves to fight for it” – harry
They will. Suppression, repression, or whatever it is tyrants use has a bad side effect – it almost always results in rebellion unless of course you turn them into gentle sheep.
Obliviate!
Amen to that, their monks are eating bullets. They haven’t yet been infected by the move on mentality.
If at all, along those lines, perhaps modern Filipinos have something to learn from the Burmese… they are never afraid to spill blood by the thousands in one go to fight their tyrants.
Many Burmese have learned to fight for their freedom long ago…
Rego The Catholic Church has the moral authority to address social issues but not meddle with Politics. Unlike the vocal and “politically active” Cardinal Sin, Cardinal Rosales is more of a type that works silently on his own (this is my impression).
If I may ask, could you give me a link or an Article about this “admonition” of Pope Benedict XVI (not VI)? The former Cardinal Ratzinger is a very conservative and “to the letter” Cleric. I’ll be waiting where I could find the Article or some Church Document about this. Thanks in advance.
rego:
there’s no place for cardinal rosales to meddle with philippine politics unless moral issues are involved. maybe some people miss cardinal sin and his constant proclamation of his political stand on political issues.
harry clay
“you referring to kevin bacon?” – harry
Yes. It had a very interesting angle, Kevin Bacon’s character was assigned to develop this oil pipeline in a third world country but he found out some people were massacred because of this pipeline so he set out to expose it only find out that the US senator he spilled the beans to was aware of this already and they tolerated it because the country’s need for oil is more important.
Also, during WWII, the Burmese helped British and American forces fight the Japanese. They were party to the defeat of Japan.
“They will. Suppression, repression, or whatever it is tyrants use has a bad side effect – it almost always results in rebellion unless of course you turn them into gentle sheep.” -ramrod
hope so. it’s been decades. hope they wake up sooner. you getting the hang of mr. potter’s spells, ei?
harry clay
“Yes. It had a very interesting angle, Kevin Bacon’s character was assigned to develop this oil pipeline in a third world country but he found out some people were massacred because of this pipeline so he set out to expose it only find out that the US senator he spilled the beans to was aware of this already and they tolerated it because the country’s need for oil is more important.” -ramrod
happens all the time in movies. the protagonist finds out something and tries to expose only to find out that the very people who should be looking into the part are in collusion with the very people the people would implicate in a crime. funny but true. in some movies, it ends with a congressional investigation. then what? it’s futile all along.
harry clay
Manolo,
That DFA modernization story really made me laugh.It really mad emy day.
Now I can go back to the project site with some sense of “freshness” and get over with this much delayed project.
Maraming Salamat.
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND EVERYONE!
Dont you guys go out and party on weekends?
Geez mga blogoholics na kayo!
Sa tinagatagal ko sa blog na to, ngayon lang yata umaabot lagi sa 200+ ang mga comments sa mga thread. Hirap maka catch up!
Or may be age is catching up on me? But hey I am not really that old . Im only 41. Kaya lang reading karah’s account that he was just 5 years old when Marcos fleed makes me feel so old na.
karah:
peace V (with a v sign). won’t pester you no more. -_-
harry clay
Hi Hermione este Karah
“Sa aking palagay wala kay Cardinal Rosales ang problema. Nasa Vatican at yung panunungkulan ni Pope Benidict VI (?)Yung Papa ang nag utos sa mga cardinal na wag makialam sa politika. Tapagpagpatupad lang si cardinal Rosales sa kautusang yan.” – rego
Yep. Cardinal Rosales has to obey the big guy, he still has a chance to be “Pope Rosales”, as for the other – Cardinal Sin, he had no chance ever since, the vatican will never annoint a “Pope Sin!”
the “fat guy” on Awful Truth is Michael Moore. writer and director of Fahernheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, and the now showing, Sicko.
rego,
I’m also 41. Honestly, blogging is the only diversion that my wife allows me to have, just as long as I don’t peek in the FHM and boybastos websites.