This week the European Union sanctioned Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise (MOGE), the government body which manages oil and gas exploitation in Burma.
This is a huge campaign success. Under the previous military dictatorship, we never managed to get sanctions on the oil and gas sector, which earns the military more than one and a half billion dollars a year.
It’s the result of a global campaign, led by activists in and from Burma. By supporting our campaign to President Biden and President Macron to sanction gas revenue, you played an important part in it. Now the EU has acted, the UK and USA are likely to follow.
Protest in Tanintharyi Region calling for sanctions on MOGE, January 2022 (Blood Money Campaign)
These sanctions are just the latest in a series of campaign successes in recent weeks.
Total Oil and Chevron announced they are pulling out of Burma.
Evergreen, the fourth largest cargo shipping company in the world, told us it will no longer use military-owned ports, and has been removed from our ‘Dirty List’.
In response to our campaign for the British government to sanction aviation fuel, we have had a reply telling us that the British government has now warned British companies not to be involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the military. This is a first step towards sanctions.
Turkey has banned the sale of arms to Burma.
Japanese brewer Kirin has announced it is finally pulling out of Burma, ending its two joint ventures with the Burmese military.
Indian company Adani has confirmed it is pulling out of a deal with the military to build a port on land they own.
More than 50 MPs have already signed the Motion in the British Parliament calling for stronger action by the British government, including for aviation fuel sanctions and joining the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
There is no single knockout blow we can deliver to the Burmese military, but we can systematically cut sources of money and arms, and thanks to your support we are making that happen.
A lot more needs to be done. We need more targeted sanctions, and we need them to be implemented more quickly. We need more companies to cut their links to the Burmese military, and more countries to impose arms embargoes.
With your support we can make this happen. Please keep taking the actions when we email you. It makes a difference.
PS. After 1,000 people emailed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in one week calling on him to stop arms sales to the Burmese military, Imran Khan’s office started blocking the emails. We have got their attention! Emails are still getting through via the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
