Burma: Palo Alto City Council passes selective purchasing ordinance because of Schools Group campaign

Thanks in part to the efforts of the Schools Group, the Palo Alto City Council has passed a Burma Selective Purchasing Ordinance. This law prevents the city from doing business with any company invested in Burma.

Burma, now called Myanmar, has been ruled by a military government called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) since 1988. This government has systematically repressed its citizens, and has subjected numerous people to rape, torture, forced labor, and forcible relocation. Many pro-democracy activists have been imprisoned, exiled, or murdered.

A large portion of the governments’ income comes from foreign investment, with another large part coming from the heroin trade. Unocal, who is building a natural gas pipeline through Burma, has turned a blind eye to injustices occurring because of their project. A case has been raised against Unocal holding them responsible for the atrocities committed because of their project, and the case has, so far, held up in court.

Many cities, some countries, and the state of Massachusetts have all passed selective purchasing ordinances. Palo Alto does not currently do business with any companies invested in Burma, and therefore, the passage of thie ordinance would simply be a political statement.

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Originally published in Shedding Light #3 · 1997–’98, the newsletter of the BAA Schools Group.