Letter: Burma: investors should wait
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Burma: investors should wait
Sir: Your report ("Words of hope reverberate across Burma", 28 May) on the weekend speech by the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi made one key omission. Foreign investors, she has consistently said, "should jolly well wait" until Burma has a democratic government.
Yet British government policy remains that "Outside of the EU arms embargo, there are no obstacles to UK companies doing business with Burma". If pressed, the Department of Trade hard disk will even come up with some po-faced phrases about trade reinforcing pressure for reform.
The State Law and Order Restoration Council military government is largely kept in place, able to spend half its revenue on arms, by precisely this dollar-signs-in-the-eyes mentality. Burma supplies 60 per cent of the world's heroin, and the SLORC take their cut of that foreign trade too.
Even the free-trading US can see this is not acceptable. Yet last February, while companies like Heineken and Levi's were leaving, the British government was handing out pounds 1,000 a time to encourage companies such as GEC Marconi and John Brown to attend a trade mission in Rangoon.
SALLY STEEN
Christian Solidarity International
Brussels
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments