Petition – Petronas’ corporate responsibility for the violent repression of saffron revolution

Letter

by Daniel Chong

PETITION FOR PETRONAS TO ASSUME CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CURRENT CRISIS IN MYANMAR

As you have highlighted in your blog, things are not well in Burma and for me it is not good that the corporations are able to keep silent while the people, NGOs and governments are making all the headlines in the press.

I think Burma is our little version of Afghanistan (important pipelines, warlords, refugees, drugs…) Its unsettling that we the neighbours have adopted a “close one eye” mentality.

Please have a look at this petition I wrote. If you support it, I hope you can make a mention of it in your blog. If not could you forward it to someone who might?

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/20/petition-for-petronas-to-assume-corporate-responsibility-in-its-business-dealing-in-myanmar

Tan Sri Dato Sri Mohd Hassan Marican
President and CEO of PETRONAS
Tower 1, PETRONAS Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Dear Sir,

We the undersigned are writing to raise serious concerns about Petronas’s involvement in the Yetagun Gas Project in Myanmar(1).

Given how incredibly cruel the ruling military government is treating its citizens over the last weeks and decades, and the fact that the protest was sparked by cut in fuel subsidies(2), we feel it is necessary that Petronas release a statement to explain in as much detail as possible, how and why Petronas can do business with such a disreputable government through the state-controlled ONGC Videsh Ltd.

How does Petronas answer the many activist accusations that such business activities funds the oppresive regime (3)? What is Petronas’s stance on the current worrying political situation in Myanmar? Is it business as usual (4)? Is Petronas only concerned at being a responsible corporate citizen only within the shores of our country (5)?

Should Petronas say that these business deal brings about positive developments for Myanmar, can Petronas give a clear report on such changes? So many years has Myanmar opened itself to foreign trade yet the people have benefited so little and so slowly from such deals. If such trade is so beneficial to the people of Myanmar, would they be out in the streets protesting today?

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