November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

Burma: Slave Nation

(Page 5 of 5)

November/December 1996
by John Pilger, New Internationalist 
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Desmond Tutu—like Aung San Suu Kyi a Nobel peace laureate—has said: "International pressure can change the situation in Burma. Tough sanctions, not 'constructive engagement,' finally brought about a new South Africa. This is the language that must be spoken with tyrants, for it is the only language they understand." What is hopeful is that there is the promise of sanctions, coming not initially from governments but from a remarkable grassroots disinvestment movement in the United States. Modeled on the campaign to boycott apartheid South Africa, selective purchasing laws have been enacted by six American cities, including San Francisco and Oakland.

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These laws prevent public funds from going to companies that trade with or invest in Burma. At the time of writing, New York state is considering similar legislation and one of the biggest investors in Burma, Pepsico, has partially withdrawn. Byron Rushing, who has written a selective purchasing law for the state of Massachusetts, told me: "In the case of South Africa, we were able to put pressure on a whole range of companies like General Motors, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi-Cola, and eventually most withdrew. And that really added to the pressure on the white South African government. That was a victory. As for Burma, it's not going to happen overnight, but we have started. The civilized world should follow."

Reprinted from the New Internationalist, June 1996.

 

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  • Jess 4/24/2009 4:21:13 AM

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