Printable Version

Renewed Argument on TOTAL

"ConcEAling Total's Malignancy & KOUCHing it in Benign Terms"  

Comrade Dare has stated that how one feels for Total depends on who one believes.  He thinks that if you believe in reports from Human Rights Activists, then you would be opposed to Total, and feels that Total ought to be judged on its own statements.  Furthermore, Comrade Dare produced a document written by Messrs. Conseil and Kouchner, a 19 page article which Comrade Day has boiled down to its essence and made his counter-remarks which are presented below. 

Let me start this letter by crudely pointing out that the genteel suggestion of Total staying in Burma so the Chinese oil company cannot, is tantamount to encouraging the Frenchman to keep on raping the beaten-up Burmese girl just so as to prevent the Chinaman from getting his turn at the gang rape.  ...while Burmese junta general sits at the door, like the damn pimp that he is, collecting money from each customer. 

Don't worry about the Communist Chinese. They will pay for their unscrupulous greed by the Law of Karma. You always sound so, SO, concerned as if the Western Companies will become destitute if they miss out on economic opportunities in Burma, and you make it so
unbearable the Chinese takeover.

General Aung San, Father of the Nation, made a famous speech that Burma could become a prostitute nation, and this is just what he meant.  (PHAH naingan, the initials corresponding nicely)

Secondly, you supported your statements by saying that your pronouncements are based on "published material" and Eric countered by saying that they are all TOTOALly based on TOTAL publications. (Some of the wording is my own compulsive punning)
I went to the Total.com and found a lot of blithe, suave, bland propaganda that was so obviously contrived, except to the biased.

You asked us, "it all depends on who you want to believe." ....with regard to who is right, Total is involved in barbarism vs. humanitarianism. Well, let me turn the question to You. Two can play the game.  Who do YOU want to believe?

Again, crudely, I will analogize:  here is this suave, educated, rich, highly-connected, good-looking genteel man, much like the handsome YOUNG Dorian Gray (recall the novel).  Let us imagine Mr. or rather, in this case, MONSEIUR Gray has been indicted in court for the rape of a young ignorant peasant girl. To make the argument even more starkly contrasting, the poor girl has had to become a sex-worker in Thailand after  being violated by Burmese junta soldiers, -- very tragic but all too common consequences, and then ran into Monsieur Gray who proceeded to force himself upon her and extract whatever further pleasure he pleases out of her impoverished, ravaged body.

In the court, Gray and his accomplished lawyers set up an excellent, well-polished defense. While the poor girl has nothing. As in many rape cases, the offender gets acquitted because the victim cannot put up sufficient evidence.  The court is faced with the perennial question, WHO do you believe?  The poor girl forced into sex slavery, or the polished Honorable Gentleman of High Society? 

As in most trials, the defense lawyers call into question, the victim's past to discredit her. Like the way Burmese junta supporters always do. And I quote you again, "WHO do you believe?"

Now with regard to published statements: I can quote the most outrageous statements and try to legitimize them by saying they are from published sources. Just because you obtained them from publications does not make a statement true and acceptable.

I could quote "Jews, Gypsies, und anderen untermenschen are all subhuman and therefore should be put to the final solution."  This is from a  published source by a well-known writer ---we all know who --and quoted throughout the world. Should that then be legitimate? i.e., valued as a moral truth?

Now to get to the Conceal article. 

First, the writer goes on a long description about the tragic history of the Burmese junta 's barbaric past which coats his article with an air of humanistic legitimacy.  Like as if he truly understands the cruel sufferings of the people.

Then, he describes in glowing terms, how splendidly Total has endowed the local villagers with schools, clinics, infrastructure and various forms of humanitarian support.  You would think the pipeline zone is like a Disneyworld from the way all the accoutrements (maybe that is the wrong word) the way all the embellishments have been made.

It all sounds fantastically generous. TOO fantastic.  If so, then why do frantic, desperate villagers keep running away to seek refuge across the Thailand with horrific accounts....?

All of this wonderful development is TOTALly quoted from TOTAL.com sources.  I have 3 dozen pages printed, with more online as to the marvelous provisions. 
(immunizations for the kids, veterinarians for the farm animals, roads, teachers, heavily-paid doctors, in fact, Conceal even recommends the doctors salaries should be cut in half. ...)

And he proceeds to deny every accusation of Total having helped the Burmese junta army in their inhumane tactics.  He mentions one instance where, as soon as Total learned of the Human Rights Violation, they rushed to the scene and stopped it, and compensated the victims. One instance, just one. How about the rest?  Hell, the Violations have been going on before Total arrived, got worse since they arrived and have been continuing since then.

Unfair Economic Exploitation: Conceal and KKKouchner also reveal another Damning fact about the Yadana (Treasure) pipeline.  They stated that "20% of the gas is allocated for use in Burma, but only 7 to 8 % is actually used" and they blithely go on to discuss the economic blessings thereof.

Consider this.  If only 7% is being used in Burma, that means 93% is going to Total et al.  Is that fair?  I come to your rose garden, pluck out 100 and give you 7, while I sell the 93 and get a fat profit. How can that be fair?  What's more, out of the 7 miserable roses, all of it is going to the Burmese junta Generals.  Remember how, at the turn of the millennia, just after the gas-pipeline starting producing gas and the millions came flowing in, the Burmese junta suddenly announced the purchase of a dozen new jet fighters from Russia, plus that expensive nuclear bomb facility in Maymyo?  That's where the 7% went to. And what do the people get?  More starvation.

He tries to confuse the reader by mentioning the pipeline of Moge laid in 1992 when Human Rights Violations DID occur, and  that the TOTAL pipeline survey began in 1994, and so reporters must have confused one with the other.  Let's not be confused. I know Kevin Heppner personally.  His organization has documented all the Violations meticulously. 

Lastly, he urges Total not to remain silent any longer, because silence will condemn them as complicit in these Violations.  THIS is VERY DAMNING in and of itself.  Why have they been so silent? Because they are guilty, and they know it.  The writer, Conceal, really lives up to his name in trying to conceal the truth about Total. 

Yes, Total should really create a set of model villages, in ideal, idyllic settings, and open up that particular for international inspection, is -- in essence -- what he is saying.  Not specifically, but IN Essence.    Of course, the Burmese junta will see to it, on pretext of lack of security, that international inspectors do not wander too far and discover the truth. 

Total has bloodied its paws in the gas-line project since its survey began in 1994.
It remained silent ALL that time, only coming up to make denials of Human Rights Violations from time to time, otherwise remaining silent all the time, and Conceal acknowledges this when he encourages Total to stop this silence.  His example is the Vatican remaining silent throughout WW2 about the Jewish Extermination.  Therefore, Total, likewise, ought not to remain silent.
ERGO, this is, by itself, there HAS been the equivalent of Jewish Extermination going on the pipeline project. 

This Conceal article, 19 pages long, is impressive in its comprehensive coverage. Detailed and well-thought out and the wording is nicely couched, or Kouchnered, so to speak.
 Who are Conseil and Kouchner, anyway?

They have a lot of historical references but it is too bad they were being employed by Total lawyers to impart  legitimacy for Total, but the veneer is too thin to conceal the rotten wood underneath.  Oh, I do give them much credit for their admissions of guilt by Burmese junta about the Human Rights Violations, and I commend them even further for their grasp of the English language even though it is their 3rd or maybe 4th language. 

Towards the end, ConcEAl and Kouchner couch their recommendations that because "Total is the most important business partner" (of the SLORC) they should change their policies.  THERE you have it!!  These two very powerful writers acknowledge that Total is the most important business supporter of Burmese junta.  Why then, I ask, why don't they knock down this support? The Burmese junta is like a criminal with his neck in a hangman's noose of his own making.  .....and Total is like the stool on which Burmese junta is standing. Knock off the stool, Total. Don't be a fat stinking general's stool.  Get the hell out of Burma and see the Burmese junta collapse. DO just that, Total, and you will be not just forgiven, but reveled as the Savior of all the Peoples of Burma, not just the Burmese.

 When I say get out, I don't mean a gradual selling out of facilities and an orderly transfer/ purchase/sale to the incoming Chinese.  I mean a sudden, abrupt cessation of all business and technical operations which will result in "TOTAL" disintegration of the business system. Once this time-honored La Revolucion, a la style Francaise, Madam *Guillotine and all, is over and Liberation is won, Total will receive a Total welcome back to Burma and you can have your business back, provided you really contribute that humanitarian support to the natives.

I rest my case.

Ayaydawboan Aungyamyi! A-A! (the Campaign Will Succeed!)

Comrade Dave

* The Burmese Guillotine is very light and portable. It is the warrior's sword called the Hnget Kyi Daung Dah (the Sword of the Great Bird's Wing), very adept at guillotining even a moving opponent)