LAKEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 12 -- Robert E. Wages,
president of the 85,000-member Oil, Chemical & Atomic
Workers International Union (OCAW), denounced today both
Burma's military dictatorship and the companies
supporting it because of the arrests of 18 peace
activists in Rangoon, Burma.
"We hold the oil companies directly responsible for
this travesty, since it's the oil companies who prop up
this corrupt narco-regime with lucrative payments and
turn a blind eye to widespread heroin-trafficking," Wages
said.
He described the news of the arrests as "bittersweet,"
since it came almost at the same time ARCO was finally
pulling up stakes in Burma. OCAW was actively involved
in a campaign to persuade the company to disinvest in
Burma.
OCAW directly participates with the Free Burma
Coalition (FBC) and has played a key role in an FBC
conference at American University, where four of the
arrested activists attended school.
Wages applauded the courage of the arrested peace
activists, whom he called "international freedom riders."
"It was as if our own union brothers and sisters,
sons and daughters, were arrested," Wages said.
"We hold Unocal, Total and ARCO directly responsible
for these arrests," Wages added.
OCAW has been the most active U.S.-based union in
the international campaign to restore democracy and trade
union rights in Burma.
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Note: The activists were deported Friday, August 14th.