57 Travel Companies on Biggest Ever Burma ‘Dirty List’

30 new companies have been added to the “Dirty List” published today by the Burma Campaign UK. A total of 170 companies feature on the new list including 57 travel and tourism companies – a third of the total. The ‘Dirty List’ exposes companies that are directly or indirectly helping to finance Burma’s brutal military dictatorship.

Said Rachel Noble of Tourism Concern: “It is hugely disappointing to see that, as the vicious repression meted out by the military regime in Burma against the Burmese people has increased, so too has the number of tourism ventures happy to support them with their business. Over a third of the companies listed on the Dirty List are directly linked to tourism, clearly indicating that the industry does provide significant financial capital to the government. Tourism infrastructure in Burma was built using forced labour, including child labour, and caused the displacement of over a million people. It is impossible for tourists visiting the country to avoid giving money to the regime and their very presence lends legitimacy to the government.

“This list proves that the current sanctions are not working. More companies than ever are investing in Burma in the oil, gas and dams sectors. New targeted sanctions against the regime must now be implemented if the international community is serious about cutting the regime’s financial lifeline” said Johnny Chatterton, Campaigns Officer at the Burma Campaign UK. “To those that claim investment aids the people of Burma, the evidence shows the opposite is true. As investment has increased, the human rights situation has deteriorated."

A questioning note was sounded by ‘Voices for Burma’ whose Cherie McCosker made the following comment last night:

"We urge the travel community to use caution and do their own independent research into the list before writing letters. Many of the travel companies on this list have been included for many years despite having proved not to support the military junta, and instead support the pro-democratic cause."

The human rights situation in Burma has deteriorated in Burma in the past year as the number of political prisoners has doubled to 2,100 and the regime continues to conduct military offensives against ethnic minorities.

The current sanctions programme appears to be failing to stop companies that invest in Burma from using financial, insurance and legal services from inside the European Union. The Burma Campaign UK is calling for a rolling series of targeted sanctions, including banning all investment, sanctions on banking and financial transactions, and a ban of insurance companies providing cover for Burma.

Major tourism companies named on the list include: Qantas, Orient Express, Kuoni, TUI, and BBC Worldwide/Lonely Planet.

In the past year many companies have pulled out of Burma including Cotton Traders, XL, Trailblazer Guides, Jet Gold Corp, CHC and Aquatic. Since the Dirty List was first published six years ago over 100 companies have withdrawn from Burma including PwC, Rolls Royce, DHL, Swiss Re and Willis.

The Burmese regime spends half its budget on the military and just 1.4% of GDP on health and education, less than half that spent by the next poorest country in Asia. Burma is the only country in Asia whose defence budget is greater than that of health and education combined. As a consequence Burma has the 4th highest child mortality rate in the world.

The petition is at:

http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/dirty_list/dirty_list_details.html

Valere Tjolle