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Ethnic Minorities Under Attack

Merry Winslow, Letters to the editor of M.A.P., 7 February, 1995

From: Merry Winslow P.O. Box 5009
Gualala, CA 95445

Febraury 7, 1995

To the Editor:

There is a crisis occurring in Burma. The military regime is attacking ethnic minorities on the Thai border in order to clear the way for a gas pipeline being built (in part) by UNOCAL. They are killing and raping civilians whose only crime is that they want to live under a democratic government they elected 6 years ago. Thousands of Karen people have fled for their lives into neighboring Thailand. The Thai government has threatened to forcefully send them back to certain death.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was democratically elected in 1988 but the military put her under house arrest and imprisoned, killed or deported the other elected officials. Since then they have ruled the country by force, and have waged a repressive war on the Burmese people and the enforced labor, killing, rape and conscription of civilians has been well documented by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. It is unacceptable that American companies like UNOCAL should do business with these criminals. When we buy gasoline from UNION 76 we are supporting such practices, and likewise, we can communicate to them our desire to apply pressure to the Burmese government to stop the attack on the Karen people. Vote with your dollars - don't buy UNION 76 gas, and tell your local UNOCAL dealer why you can't give them your business right now.

Also, get in touch with the White House, Congress, and the UN about stopping complicity with the illegal Burmese regime. Write to:

John F. Imle, Jr.
President, UNOCAL
1201 West 5th St.
Los Angeles, CA 92051

Post to (BurmaNet, misc.activism.progressive, alt.activism)
from Merry Winslow c/o coral@biostat.ucsf.edu

2/7/95

People reading newgroups and wondering what else we can do to apply pressure to SLORC to cease in their attack on the Karen might consider joing the boycott of UNOCAL. Let's not buy UNOCAL gasoline until the company uses its influence to pressure the Burmese regime to stop the attack and to work democratically with their people.

UNOCAL owns 33% of a gas pipeline due to be built across the mountainous eastern edge of Burma, and into Thailand. The resistance has held this territory for 46 years, as they struggled for freedom and the right to maintain their ethnic independence. Now, in order to clear the way for this pipeline, SLORC is trying to eradicate whole villages, and thousands of Karens are fleeing into Thailand. Thailand has indicated that they will forcefully repatriate the refugess, who are certain to be shot, raped, or enslaved in forced labor building roads and as porters for the army.

A massive boycott of UNOCAL products is one way to get our voices heard. Please help.

Write your local newspaper and spread this information. Let's vote with our dollars. Letters to the White House, Congress, UN, etc. are also good. Write the president of UNOCAL:

John F Imle, Jr.
1201 West 5th St.
Los Angeles, CA 92051