UNOCAL SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL ON BURMA Stockholders (of Unocal) have given notice that the following proposal will be presented at the meeting of shareholders to be held on Monday, May 24, 1999, at 376 S. Valencia Ave., Brea, Californa. "Whereas: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called for economic sanctions on Burma, stating that corporations that do business in Burma do create jobs for some people but what they are mainly going to do is make an already wealthy elite wealthier, and increase its greed and strong desire to hang on to power . . . these companies harm the democratic process a great deal; "Because of the Burmese military junta's LARGE-SCALE repression of the democracy movement, on May 20, 1997, President Clinton signed an executive order banning new US investment in Burma; "Several cities, including New York and San Francisco, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have enacted laws that effectively prohibit contracts with companies that do business in Burma; "Media such as BusinessWeek, CNN, Economist, LOs Angeles Times, New York Times and Washington Post have published article about the growing pressure on companies that do business in Burma; "Unocal, in partnership with Total of France, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand and the Burmese state-owned oil company, has an equity stake in the largest investment project in Burma: the gas pipeline from the offshore Yadana gas-field to Thailand; "Human rights organizations based on the Thai/Burmese border have documented not only numerous human rights abuses committed by Burmese troops deployed to secure the pipeline area but also the use of forced labor by the Burmese military on infrastructure related to the pipeline project; "Unocal has allowed no independent human rights investigation of the numerous documented allegations of abuse of human rights in the pipeline area; "On September 3, 1996, the democratically elected government-in-exile of Burma filed a lawsuit in US federal court seeking a court order halting Unocal's role in the Yadana pipeline and seeking compensatory and punitive damages. On October 3, 1996, a similar additional lawsuit was filed on behalf of victims of human rights abuses in Burma; "BE IT RESOLVED:The shareholders request that the board of Directors appoint a committee of outside directors to issue a report by October 1999 on the actual and potential economic and public relations cost to Unocal of opposition to its business in Burma. The report, omitting confidential information and prepared at reasonable cost, should include the actual and potential benefits of continuing to do business in Burma as well as the costs of Unocal of: 1. The growing boycott of Unocal products by consumers, including cities and states 2. The increasing lobbying by Unocal of federal and local legislatures and governments 3. Litigation filed against Unocal SUPPORTING STATEMENT "We are concerned by the growing damage to Unocal's sales and image because of its presence in Burma. We are also concerned about the mounting cost of lobbying against federal sanctions and local selective purchasing legislation. Considering delivery delays and reduced customer needs, we wish to learn whether these additional economic and public relations costs outweigh the revenues and benefits that Unocal derives from its business in Burma." Unocal board of directors asked to vote against this resolution mainly because it only spends $2 millions for last year as lobbying and legal costs to protect business in Burma. Follow the appreciations of the Shan Democratic Union, film maker John Pilger, HH the Dalai Lama, Dennis Skinner MP, Tony Benn MP, parliamentarians, sportspersons, musicians and numerous others. Support a REAL war on drugs : Sydney 2000 : Burma Out! Music Industry Human Rights Association http://www.mihra.org / [EMAIL PROTECTED] US Satellite http://www.212.net click on roger / then click on news desk Mihra was founded during UN50 to advance and protect creators rights in a cultural market monopolised by the recording / publishing Grand Cartel. Mihra's roots are in music and anti-racism and was first in line in calling for a sports boycott of Burma for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. UK webhosting donated by http://www.cerbernet.co.uk US webhosting donated by http://www.212.net ========================
