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US energy giant Chevron, French oil group Total and China's top oil producer China National Petroleum Corp are among companies giving much-needed income to Burma, defying activists' calls to pull out.

"All these profits go to the regime. These companies don't care about human rights and what is going on in Rangoon," said Debbie Stothard, a coordinator of the Alternative Asean Network on Myanmar, a regional pro-democracy body.

Burma's junta has been condemned worldwide for launching an offensive against protesters in its main city Rangoon, killing at least 13 people, including a Japanese journalist, and jailing hundreds more.

US President George W Bush last week unveiled new sanctions on the country's ruling generals in a speech to the UN General Assembly.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also urged his country's businesses, including Total, to freeze their investments in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, which has been ruled by the military since 1962.

Total has a 31-per-cent stake in Burma's major Yadana project, which would carry gas from fields in the Andaman Sea to power plants in Thailand.

The project is jointly run by the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, Thailand's top oil exploration firm PTT Exploration and Production, and US firm Unocal, which has been bought by Chevron. Chevron owns a 28-per-cent stake in the Yadana fields.

Japan's Nippon Oil Corp, South Korean's Daewoo International, Malaysia's state-run energy firm Petronas, as well as two Indian power giants, Gail India and Oil and Natural Gas Corp, are also jockeying for billion-dollar contracts.

Nippon Oil said there would be no change in its Burma operations following the bloody crackdown on demonstrations, which had steadily grown since August 19 following a massive hike in fuel prices for ordinary people.

"We see the political situation and energy business as separate matters," said a company spokesman in Tokyo. He declined to say how much Nippon Oil has invested in Burma, which has been renamed Myanmar by the military junta.

Apart from natural gas, global companies are also seeking Burma's teak, forest products, jade, gems, beans and textiles.

"China and Thailand are the major buyers of teak and jade. They just want short-term business interests. They don't care about the lives of Burmese people," said Aung Thu Nyein, a Thai-based Burma analyst.

Neighbouring Thailand is the biggest buyer of Burma's exports, and Thai firms have also heavily invested in the agriculture and tourism sectors in the military-run country.

Story/photo   AFP

Vocabulary

crackdown, n: use of force to stop an action or activity

to vie for, v: to compete for; to try hard to get an advantage over somebody else

to defy, v: to resist; to refuse or ignore an order or wish from somebody in authority

to condemn, v: to openly say that somebody's action is bad

to unveil, v: to show something that was previously hidden or secret

sanction, n: action that is used in an attempt to force somebody to do what you want

to freeze, v: to stop from moving; to prevent from changing; to keep

to jockey for, v: to compete for; to try hard to get

massive, adj: very big; huge; enormous

to decline, v: to refuse an offer

Questions

1. Why do multinational firms want to do business with Burma?

a. There is no corruption.

b. Living expenses are cheap.

c. It is a very peaceful country.

d. It is rich in natural resources.

2. What has Burma's junta done to upset people worldwide?

a. granting women the vote

b. killing and jailing protesters

c. abolishing English as world language

d. forcing everybody to ordain as monks

3. Which country is NOT mentioned to have business connections with Burma?

a. China

b. Thailand

c. Tanzania

d. South Korea

4. Why did people in Burma demonstrate?

a. Fuel prices increased.

b. Buddhism is outlawed.

c. Food rations are reduced.

d. Women have to wear veils.

5. What other name is Burma known under?

a. Fuji

b. Myanmar

c. Ceylon

d. Formosa

Synonyms

Which of the following words or phrases replace the ones from the passage best?

1. outrage

a. anger

b. support

c. surprise

d. approval

2. dissent

a. help

b. protest

c. religion

d. exploitation

3. stake

a. share

b. manager

c. objection

d. real estate

4. hike

a. stop

b. increase

c. donation

d. decrease

5. seek

a. find

b. own

c. desire

d. treasure

KEY

Questions      1. d, 2. b, 3. c, 4. a, 5. b

Synonyms      1. a, 2. b, 3. a, 4. b, 5. c

By Ajarn Horst Baelz