Thread by @astroehlein

For all those who see human rights activists & NGO types slogging away, day after day, on issues that seem intractable and wonder if it's worthwhile... if it actually works... if progress is even possible...

Let me tell you that, yes, it is.

Since overthrowing the democratically elected government on 1 February 2021, #Myanmar’s military has carried out nationwide crackdowns on anti-junta protesters, activists, journalists & political opposition, killing more than 1400 people. It amounts to crimes against humanity.

In addition, the #Myanmar junta's renewed attacks on ethnic minority areas have resulted in numerous war crimes.
hrw.org/news/2021/12/1…

TotalEnergies has operated the Yadana gas project in #Myanmar since the 1990s, which pays revenues to the junta-controlled Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

Over the past year, #Myanmar civil society and labor organizations, as well as international rights groups, have been calling on TotalEnergies to suspend payments to the junta.

The movement grew globally over time, but it was always driven by the people of #Myanmar, in this spirit:
“Total has taken a lot from Myanmar... so they should at least help Myanmar with a little bit of effort during such a bloody period in our country.”
apnews.com/article/myanma…

Since the coup, the US, Canada, UK, and EU member states have imposed targeted economic sanctions on junta leaders and several conglomerates and companies owned or controlled by the #Myanmar military, but NOT on MOGE or payments it receives.

The French government of President Emmanuel Macron has not supported such measures. The administration of US President Joe Biden has been unwilling to impose sanctions on gas payments unilaterally without the support of France and other EU nations.

In an 18 January letter to Human Rights Watch, the TotalEnergies CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, said the company had spoken with French and US authorities concerning the implementation of targeted sanctions on gas revenue flows, and...

...and he said that the company, “will not only comply with any sanction decision from the European or American authorities but also supports the implementation of such targeted sanctions.”

The fact that both TotalEnergies & human rights groups now support sanctions on #Myanmar’s gas revenues leaves the US & EU without any excuses to delay action. These govts should immediately impose measures vitally needed to target funds that pay for the junta’s abusive rule.

These new sanctions will get the junta's attention, because this is a big money spinner for them.

Natural gas projects in #Myanmar generate over US $1 billion in foreign revenue for the junta annually, its single largest source of foreign currency revenue.

The money is transmitted in US dollars to MOGE or other military-controlled bank accounts in foreign countries, in the form of fees, taxes, royalties, and dividends from the export of natural gas. This is a critical weak point for the junta.

The EU and US are in a key position to impose sanctions since payments for gas operations are made in US dollars and involve multinational banks that fall under the jurisdiction of EU and US law.

Sanctions by those authorities can stop payments made by banks in Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and other locations because foreign banks must comply with EU and US authorities when they ultimately require EU and US banks to process, or “settle,” Euro or dollar transactions.

And note that targeted sanctions on revenue and tax payments would not disrupt operations, which might harm the general population, just the flow of funds to the junta.

In short, massive public pressure in #Myanmar, combined with a push by international groups who followed the local lead, built a multi-faceted movement for change. Institutional investors took notice and joined in. And now, even the company itself is on-sides.

This is big.

Is the struggle over? Of course not.

Are the people of #Myanmar free of the bloody repression the junta is inflicting on them? Not yet.

Is there still a lot of work to be done? You bet.

But what's happened here is good news. It is progress, and it is a substantial step. It is a key victory on a long road to a better future for the people of Myanmar.

And while we don't see victories like this every day, it shows that what we do works - "we" meaning local activists, national groups & international organizations, all pushing toward the same goal of democracy & human rights.

Read more: hrw.org/news/2022/01/2…

Achieving progress in human rights is 5% hope and 95% hard work.

And now this BREAKING news:
totalenergies.com/media/news/pre…

Our take at @hrw: “Total’s welcome move reflects the importance of avoiding complicity in the #Myanmar junta’s atrocities. The next step is to ensure that gas revenues don’t continue to fund those atrocities.”

Chevron too: financialpost.com/pmn/business-p…

Now, with these decisions, it's even more essential & urgent for the EU & US to act. We need to see targeted sanctions to prevent new, unscrupulous entities from entering the market. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar