Burma Resolution
City of San Jose Human Rights Commission
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Past Success for FYI: Selective Purchasing Law
passed by the cities in 1995/96 that is
the major drive behind the pull out by my companies:
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/reg.burma/archives/199612/msg00291.html
Burma Resolution
San Francisco City Council adopted on Oct 23
More Info read here
[Resolution Urging Neighboring Nations and Major Investors to Defend Peaceful
Pro-Democracy Demonstrators in Burma]
Resolution Urging the Governments of China, India, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and
of the United States, as well as the Chevron and Daewoo Corporations to Take
Action in Defense of Peaceful Pro-Democracy Demonstrators in Burma.
WHEREAS, San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations; and
WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of all to speak out against oppression; and,
WHEREAS, On August 5, 2007 the Burmese government without warning raised fuel
prices by as much as 500 percent, thereby making it difficult for many Burmese
people to afford sufficient food; and,
WHEREAS, street protests against the military dictatorship of Burma and for
democracy began on Aug. 19, 2007, and when thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns
took to the streets beginning Sept. 18 and numbers swelled to many tens of
thousands; now, therefore, be it
WHEREAS, Starting on Sept. 26, the government of Burma has launched violent
repression of the demonstrations, arresting hundreds, killing an unknown number
of people estimated by diplomats to be in the dozens or more, cremating the
victims' bodies and, allegedly, persons still living, raiding Buddhist
monasteries, beating and arresting more than 4,000 monks, imprisoning monks in
their monasteries, and placing an estimated 20,000 soldiers in the streets of
Rangoon; and
WHEREAS, Burma's closest trading partners, China, India and Thailand have been
slow to respond, China first calling the developments an "internal matter," and
only after the initial crackdown urging "all parties" to exercise restraint.
Thailand has refused to take action, claiming it "lacks moral authority", and
India continues business as usual; and
WHEREAS, Daewoo Corporation of Korea made a giant gas discovery in Myanmar in
early 2004 and has recently entered into a production sharing contract with the
Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the military
government. The project is expected to become the regime's largest single source
of revenue, providing, on average, US$580 million per year for the regime for
twenty years, or a total of US$ 12 billion; and
WHEREAS, the Chevron corporation is one of the largest foreign investors in
Burma and is the only remaining major U.S. corporation with a significant
presence there, and the Chevron subsidiary Unocal has partnered with the Burmese
military to provide security for its pipeline and such partnership has resulted
in allegations of horrific human rights abuses including torture, rape, unlawful
land seizures to remove villagers from areas slated for development, and the
military's use of forced labor to facilitate the pipeline construction.
According to ILO estimates, more than 800,000 Burmese are currently conscripted
in slave-like conditions with little or no pay as army porters or workers in
construction and agriculture. Such allegations resulted in a lawsuit charging
that the companies knew about and benefited from the Burmese army's human rights
abuses. The lawsuits were settled after the companies agreed to make large
payments, but Chevron & Unocal continue to operate in Burma; and
WHEREAS, Burma has been ruled by a repressive military dictatorship since a coup
d'état ended democratic governance in 1962. After holding free elections in
1990, the government annulled those elections when it lost decisively; and the
government continues to hold more than 1,000 political prisoners, including Aung
San Suu Kyi, the leader of the party that won the 1990 election; now, therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the City and County of San Francisco urges the government of
Burma to immediately cease the use of violence in suppression of nonviolent
protests by its citizens, cease the detention of political prisoners and release
those currently held, cease the harassment of those suspected of supporting the
protests, and enter into sincere negotiations with leaders of the movement for
democracy and human rights in Burma; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City and County of San Francisco urges the Chevron
corporation and its subsidiary, Unocal, to withdraw immediately from all
dealings with the military government of Burma on the basis that not to do so is
to be complicit in perpetuating a brutal and amoral regime and the torture and
murder of its citizens; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City and County of San Francisco urges the citizens
of the City and County of San Francisco to speak up for the safety, human
rights, and freedom of the people of Burma by participating in letter-writing,
vigils, demonstrations, and other actions organized by such forces as the
Burmese American Democratic Alliance SF, Amnesty International, Avaaz.org, the
US Campaign for Burma, the Berkeley-based Buddhist Peace Fellowship, and the
international organized-labor movement; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution shall be sent to
[San Francisco's Congressional delegation with
requests to forward the resolution to]
the governments of Burma, China, India, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and the United
States, by way of their Missions to the United Nations as well as to the Board
of Directors of the Chevron and Daewoo corporations.
Burma Resolution
Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission adopted this 01 October 2007 and passed
by the city council
Proposed Resolution Urging the Governments of China, Japan, and the United
States, and the People of Berkeley, to Take Action in Defense of the Peaceful
Demonstrators of Burma/Myanmar
WHEREAS, Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) Section 3.68.070, establishing the Peace
and Justice Commission, states that the Commission shall "(A) Advise the
Berkeley City Council ... on all matters relating to the City of Berkeley's role
in issues of peace and social justice, ...
including ... support for human rights and self-determination throughout the
world, [and] (C) Help develop proposals for the City
Council ... for actions in furtherance of the goals of peace and justice"; and
BMC § 3.68.070 (D) finds that: "Peace is ... the process
of solving differences constructively, creatively, and non-violently"; and
WHEREAS, street protests against the military dictatorship of Burma/Myanmar and
for democracy began on Aug. 19, 2007,1 and when
thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns took to the streets beginning Sept. 182
swelled to many tens of thousands; and
WHEREAS, starting on Sept. 26,3 the government of Burma/Myanmar has launched
violent repression of the demonstrations, arresting hundreds,4 killing an
unknown number of people estimated by diplomats to be in the dozens or more,5
allegedly cremating the victims' bodies and in at least one case, a living
person,6,7 raiding Buddhist monasteries, beating and arresting more than 4,000
monks,8,9 imprisoning monks in their monestaries,10 and placing an estimated
20,000 soldiers in the streets of Rangoon11; and
WHEREAS, Burma/Myanmar's closest trading partner, China,12 has been slow to
respond, first calling the developments an "internal matter,"13 and only after
the initial crackdown urging "all parties" to exercise restraint; and
WHEREAS, Burma/Myanmar has been ruled by a repressive military dictatorship
since a coup d'état ended democratic governance in 1962; after holding free
elections in 1990, the government annulled those elections when it lost
decisively; and the government continues to hold more than 1,000 political
prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the party that won the 1990
election14,15,16; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2005, upon recommendation by the Peace and Justice
Commission, the Berkeley City Council adopted resolution 62,947-N.S. declaring
June 19, 2005 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Day in recognition of the 60th birthday of
Ms. Suu Kyi and the efforts of the Burmese/Myanmar people to reclaim their human
rights and their democracy, following other resolutions adopted by the City
Council in 1994, 1995, 1998, and 1999 against the repressive regime of
Burma/Myanmar;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of Berkeley urges the
government of Myanmar/Burma to immediately cease the use of violence in
suppression of nonviolent protests by its citizens, cease the detention of
political prisoners and release those currently held, restore communications
within and outside of the country including telephone, cellular, and Internet
services, and enter into sincere negotiations with leaders of the movement for
democracy and human rights in Burma/Myanmar; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council urges the governments of the United
States and those countries with particularly strong relations with
Burma/Myanmar, including China (its largest trading partner) and Japan (its
largest provider of foreign aid), to exert maximum pressure upon the regime to
restore the human rights of the demonstrators and the citizenry of
Burma/Myanmar; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council urges the citizens of Berkeley to
speak up for the safety, human rights, and freedom of the people of
Burma/Myanmar by participating in letter-writing, vigils, demonstrations, and
other actions organized by such forces as Amnesty International,17
Avaaz.org (an activism Web site
co-founded by MoveOn.org),18 the Berkeley-based Buddhist Peace Fellowship,19 and
the international organized-labor movement.20
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution shall be sent to the
governments of Burma/Myanmar, China, Japan, and the United States, by way of
their Missions to the United Nations.
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Burma Resolution
City of San
Jose
Human Rights Commission
WHEREAS: San Jose is the capital of Silicon
Valley and home of many Burmese Americans and host of recent Burmese refuges
from Thai-Burma border area; and
WHEREAS: It is the responsibility of all to speak out against oppression; and,
WHEREAS: Starting on Sept. 26, the government of Burma has launched violent
repression of the demonstrations, arresting hundreds, killing an unknown number
of people, beating and arresting more than 4,000 monks, imprisoning monks in
their monasteries, and placing an estimated 20,000 soldiers in the streets of
Rangoon; therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Human Rights Commission of the City of San Jose urges the
government of Burma to immediately cease the use of violence in suppression of
nonviolent protests by its citizens, cease the detention of political prisoners
and release those currently held, cease the harassment of those suspected of
supporting the protests, and enter into sincere negotiations with leaders of the
movement for democracy and human rights in Burma; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That copies of this resolution shall be sent to the San Jose
City Council and Congressional delegation with requests to forward the
resolution, as they see fit, to the governments of Burma, China, India,
Thailand, Korea, Japan, and the United States.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Human Rights Commission of the City of San Jose on January 17, 2008 by the following vote:
AYES: 11
NOES: 0
ABSTAINED: 0