Singapore Companies with Presence / Interest in Burma / Myanmar
I am simply mirroring the blog post from Gorilla Radio (URL below) and doing some editing. Text in quotes are reposted as it is -
http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-zed-on-burma-investors.html
The objective of this blog post is to raise awareness in light of the atrocities happening in Burma/Myanmar.
This is NOT a protest. I am of the opinion that we need to look into such issues pragmatically. Cutting off all trade relations with Burma may do more harm than good. The companies listed below may be, in fact, good proxies for positive influence and lobbying.
I am also not entirely sure of the accuracy or completeness of the information. This is, perhaps, where you come in?
Singapore Companies include:
Our dear 3 banks UOB, DBS and OCBC &
“CNA Group Ltd - NEW
CNA is as Sesdaq listed company headquartered in Singapore. It was, in 2005, awarded a contract for the expansion of Yangon International Airport. Under the contract C.N.A. will design, supply, install and commission 24 engineering systems for the airport terminals. The project is to be completed by early 2007 but the CEO has commented “we will continue to expand our presence in the region (Myanmar).”
Ginnacle Import-Export Pte Ltd - NEW
Ginnacle is a company located in Singapore involved in the sales and marketing of Burmese teak lumber, decking and furniture. The Burmese regime owns all teak plantations in Burma and teak sales earn the regime millions of pounds every year.
Golden Aaron Pte. Ltd - NEW
Golden Aaron Pte. Ltd. is a Singaporean oil corporation. The company is part of a consortium which in 2005 signed three production sharing contracts with state run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, to explore for oil and gas in Burma, both on and offshore. It is a project which will undoubtedly provide the Burmese junta with a large and valuable source of income. The same consortium signed similar deals in 2004.
Interra Resources – NEW
Singapore listed Interra Resource’s principal activities are the exploration and operation of oil fields for the production of crude petroleum. It operates in Indonesia and Burma. In Burma its subsidiary Goldwater Oil was the first foreign oil company to extract oil in Burma. It is currently engaged in oil and gas exploration and production through its jointly controlled venture with Geopetrol called Goldpetrol.
Keppel Corporation - NEW
Singapore’s Keppel Corporation is a multinational corporation with interests in three key business areas: Offshore and Marine, Property and Infrastructure. Its property wing- Keppel Land has a presence in eight Asian countries including Burma where it owns the Sedona Hotels in Yangon and Mandalay.
Kerry Logistics Group/Kuok Group
Kerry Logistics is a goods transport logistics company with branches in 12 countries, including the UK. Kerry Logistics also operates in Burma, facilitating the export of Burmese goods. Kerry Logistics is part of the Singaporean conglomerate, Kuok Group.
Shangri-La Hotels
Shangri-La Hotels is a Singaporean hotel company. It operates the Traders hotel in Rangoon. Aung San Suu Kyi has asked tourists not to visit Burma because it helps fund the regime and gives it legitimacy. Forced and child labour was used to develop many tourist facilities. In the UK, Shangri-La plans to operate an opulent 5 star hotel in the proposed ‘shard of glass’ tower block at London Bridge.”
“What’s behind the sudden surge in Western interest in ousting Burma/Myanmar’s military regime? Could it be an attack on another source of oil for petro-hungry China? Here’s some of the countries and companies invested in B/M
Last modified 29 Sep 07
In response to calls from Burma’s democracy movement, the Burma Campaign UK and other campaign groups around the world have been pressuring companies to sever business ties with Burma.
Please contact one or more of the companies on the Dirty List and ask them to cut their ties with Burma’s military government. If appropriate, tell them you will not purchase their products as long as they continue to support the regime in Burma.
Letters written in your own words are most effective. If you don’t have much time, don’t worry - just one or two paragraphs will do. Please be polite!
We would be grateful if you could send us a copy of any responses you receive.”
From -
http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-zed-on-burma-investors.html
October 24th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Hi..
I am rather interested in the topics you mentioned. I am doing a research on what are the companies that are doing more harm than good.
Like in what ways are they doing harm? Child Labour? Not demonstrating Corporate social responsibility? Please share more information with me. Thank You
Warmest regards
Melvin
February 15th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Here’s an interesting, if sliiiightly tangential, article about the effect that the latest round of US sanctions on Myanmar could be having on Singapore companies: http://perspectives.singaporeangle.com/2007/10/the_long_arm_of_the_us_treasur_1.html
The question of the harms and benefits of trading with Burma is an excellent one.
Harms:
1. Keeping the Burmese junta in power
Most, if not all foreign companies in Myanmar fund the Burmese junta in some way or other. Many of them do business directly with the military government, including the ones that haven’t actually set up in Burma. That’s a big moral/ethical harm, and it’s a harm to the people on the ground in Myanmar, because it means that a government which represses them can continue to stay in power. About 75% of the junta’s revenue comes from oil and gas royalties.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501060130/story2.html
2. Slave labour and other unethical practices
Some companies gladly accept the slave/child labour which the junta provides them with. The most (in)famous example was the use of slave labour in the construction of the Yadana gas pipeline. The French company Total and US company Unacol (among others) were involved in that. Unacol was actually sued for their involvement in this by some Burmese living in the US. The scandal surrounding the issue just killed them. They were bought over by Chevron after the suit was settled. Chevron now owns Unacol’s stake in the Yadana gas project, having inherited it from Unacol.
http://www.smh. com.au/news/ World/Oil- companies- look-to-exploit- Burma/2007/ 09/30/1191090915 956.html)
3. Arms trade
This is more an indirect effect of companies doing business with Myanmar. But the cash the government gets from this allows them to buy arms from the governments of China, India, Russia, Singapore, and North Korea. The money we gave them allowed them to buy the bullets they used to shoot the monks.
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/reg.burma/archives/199510/msg00015.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22085187-2703,00.html
Ultimately, there is close to NO trickle-down effect, when it comes to the money the military government earns from all this. Many people on the ground still live in extreme
Benefits:
1. Improved conditions for people on the ground
This is true in 2 ways. 1st, through direct employment. Local who are hired by some international companies in Burma get better pay and working conditions, plus exposure to “foreign values” like democracy and human rights. 2nd, through corporate social responsibility exercises these companies undertake. They build up infrastructure (OK, so this is more to improve the efficiency of their enterprises), schools, and medical facilities. They help to train the locals in education and healthcare as well.
http://www.chevron.com/news/press/Release/?id=2007-10-02
It should be noted that this is only true of RESPONSIBLE companies, i.e. companies who’s shareholders/consumers back home actually care about ethics. This is mostly true of US and EU companies (with plenty of exceptions) but seldom true of Asian/ASEAN companies.
It certainly isn’t true of Malaysian or Singaporean companies, mainly because our citizenry don’t know enough about their companies in Myanmar, and the few that know don’t care enough. That’s where we can make a difference as individuals.
2. Improved standard of living for minority of Burmese businessmen/women
Because it’s a part of ASEAN, Myanmar citizens with enough money to directly do business with entities outisde of Myanmar benfefit greatly. I have personal friends from Burma whose parents leave the country from time to time to do business in the ASEAN region. They export stuff, particularly textiles, to countries like Malaysa, Thailand, Vietnam, India, etc. The children of such privilaged families usually go to fancy private schools and end up either jumping ship and leaving the country for good, or becoming the next generation of Burmese intellectuals, and the educated political opposition. Both my personal friends, for example, are members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party.
Finally, here’s one more article on the Singapore-Myanmar connection. Because it’s much more than just companies doing business with the Burmese junta. The government has close ties with the junta too.
http://www.smh. com.au/news/ business/ singapore- a-friend- indeed-to- burma/2007/ 09/30/1191090945 019.html
Note: The articles I’ve cited are old and the info in them may need to be updated.