Burn Your Bra

by Michelle . · 2009-09-22 17:46:00 UTC
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Money speaks louder than morality. It's sad but true: International business interests rarely show concern over the connection between their activities and the abuse of civilians by their government -- unless consumer pressure makes them, that is.

Take Sri Lanka. The tiny island nation's 26 year civil war ended in May, but government abuse of ethnic Tamil civilians is gaining long overdue attention from the UN, foreign government, and human rights groups.

But despite the fact the over 250,000 displaced civilians continue to be forcibly detained in camps by the Sri Lankan government, which also continues to refuse all but the most limited humanitarian assistance to the camps, the war's official end precipitated an economic boost from renewed foreign investment. In particular, the country's garment industry is receiving increased orders from abroad, including from major American retailers like Gap and Victoria's Secret.

Victoria's Secret, in fact, remained largely undeterred by the conflict -- Sri Lanka's textile shops are among the popular lingerie chain's biggest suppliers. How do you feel wearing a bra that funds crimes against humanity?

According to the "No to Sri Lanka" campaign, which is organizing boycotts and a "Check the Label" movement, foreign investment accounts for the Sri Lankan government's primary source of revenue. And, don't ya' know it, the US is among Sri Lanka's top trading partners.

So take action: Join the boycott and let American retailers know that what they seem not to feel in their collective conscience they will feel in their pocket books -- it's the only thing that speaks to them, and it's an opportunity for you to have a tangible impact.

[Photo from iirraa's Flickr stream, Creative Commons license.]

Michelle . has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns.
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