This piece by Amit Singupta, The colour of blood is saffron, argues forcefully that repression and abuse of natural resources go hand in hand. You might think its not the place for greenmonk to say anything about repression in Burma, but this article makes it clear why we should be thinking about the links between extraction and use of natural resources, and the regime there. We should all be signing up to the Burma Campaign.
These nations, and the western nations including Britain, which controlled Burma as its administrative territory in the early 20 th century, still use the colonial metaphor. They have ignored all pleas for justice, for democracy, against mass detentions and torture in jails for decades, against the elimination and disappearance of hundreds of students and dissidents, against killings of innocents, against organised State repression. They have allowed a little country and its condemned people to die a living death in abject suffering and imprisonment, in abject poverty.
Why?
This is because they are part of the loot and plunder of the natural resources and gas reserves of this pristine country on the borders of India’s northeast. All these countries are using, extracting and eyeing the natural riches of Burma. Hence democracy can be damned, long live the junta.
Its good to know IBM, HP and Oracle are on the clean list. Tech for obvious reasons is less exposed. Extractive industries on the other hand are more likely to support odious regimes because… that’s where the resources are. What does that mean? The less oil and gas we consume the less likely we are to support tyranny. Saving the planet is not the only reason to moderate our carbon -based behaviours. Obviously you might want to avoid Teak too.
Support Free Burma.
