We did it! Total and Chevron to exit Myanmar
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Hi A,
WE DID IT! After we grew our petition to over 100,000 signers urging Total and Chevron to suspend payments to the Myanmar military, our allies in Myanmar, Korea, France, and the US shared it and used it in advocacy meetings with the companies and governments.
And it worked! After months of pressure, Total and Chevron just announced they will withdraw their business from Myanmar.
With allies, we translated the petition into Burmese which gave people from Myanmar a platform to have their voices heard. Even Burmese people working for the energy companies stood by our ask.
And with partners and activists, we organized demonstrations across the US and delivered our voices directly to the companies – including at the Chevron AGM. Through a shareholder resolution filed by allies, Burmese human rights defender Khin Ohmar delivered our call through a video that was presented at the AGM and viewed by shareholders and executives alike.
Similarly, in its press release, Total noted that it felt pressure from shareholders and from people inside Myanmar and their allies around the world.
A, it is thanks to supporters like you that we were able to build up pressure that eventually forced the companies to withdraw their support to... the murderous Myanmar military.
We also took our message directly to the US Treasury Department, calling on the US to place sanctions on the state-owned oil and gas company, MOGE -- the main financial lifeline for the brutal Myanmar military. We delivered a briefing and exchanged emails with Secretary Yellen’s staff and parked a mobile billboard right outside the Treasury Dept. in DC while we tweeted at their handle to go look outside. We then shared our campaign and written materials with Senator Merkley’s staff who were in the process of writing a letter to the Biden administration calling for sanctions on MOGE.
SumOfUs and allies demonstrating outside Chevron HQ in DC
Activist holds petition placard
SumOfUs tweet at Secretary Yellen highlighting our mobile billboard parked outside the US Treasury Department calling for sanctions on the state-owned oil and gas company, MOGE -- a major funder of the murderous military regime
Burmese human rights defender Khin Ohmar delivering our message through a shareholder resolution at the Chevron Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Our work isn’t over yet – the Myanmar military is one of the most brutal regimes in the world. From its genocidal attacks on the Rohingya to the recent bloody coup which has killed over 1400 people and forced millions into a humanitarian crisis – now more than ever we must keep up the pressure on the US, France, and other governments to suspend economic ties with the military until democracy is restored.
Will you retweet our image calling on the Treasury department to sanction MOGE? It will help keep up the pressure on the Biden administration right when we need it.
That’s it for now. Thanks again for all your support.
With hope,
Rewan and the team at SumOfUs
More information:
Chevron, Total to exit Myanmar over human rights abuses, ABC News, January 21, 2021
TotalEnergies tells rights group it backs sanctions on payments to Myanmar junta, Reuters, January 21, 2021
SumOfUs is a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy. And we’re not afraid to stand up to them when they don’t.
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