Just How Much Money are Energy Companies Giving to Burma's Junta?

What do you give a military junta that controls a country like a police state, brutally cracks down on free speech, and has marked an ethnic group within its borders for extinction? Well, if you're three of the world's biggest energy companies, and the country is Burma, you give them hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars.

Say hello to Chevron, Total, and PTTEP (more commonly known as the Petroleum Authority of Thailand Exploration and Production), three energy companies that annually give boatloads of money to Burma's repressive junta. Why do these companies continue to ship briefcases full of cash to one of the world's worst violators of human rights?

Gas, of course. Lots and lots of gas. Since at least 1992, the companies have been joined at the hip with the Burmese junta, working to construct what's known as the Yadana gas pipeline. It transports gas from Burma to Thailand. It's also been a source of some of the grossest corporate human rights violations in the past two decades, including forced labor, rape, torture, land confiscation, and murder. Why? Because these companies contract with Burma's military to provide "security" around the mine.

Some security, eh?

Now, scores of organizations and human rights activists are calling on Total, Chevron and PTTEP to disclose just how much revenue they're sending to Burma's junta. After all, if these companies are so eager to tap into the gas inside Burma, shouldn't they be willing to put their mouths where their money is going?

Among the organizations calling for some economic transparency is EarthRights International. Matt Smith, the head of EarthRights' Burma Program, told a press conference audience in Thailand that the time is now for revenue transparency.

"Shining a light on this is critical for Burma’s future development, and for the responsible management of the country’s vast resource wealth," Smith said. He's right. If these companies are giving millions upon millions of dollars to one of the worst regimes on the planet, shouldn't the world demand at least some transparency?

Two years ago, Total actually did disclose part of their economic transactional history with Burma, noting that in 2008 alone, their involvement in the country netted Burmese authorities a whopping $254 million. That's a lot of money to use toward abusing your own people.

But that's just not enough. Cue some responsible legislation brewing in the U.S. Congress that would require oil, gas and mining companies registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose payments made to foreign governments. The bill? It's called the U.S. Energy Security through Transparency Act. And it's a good first step toward holding U.S. companies accountable for their collaboration with dictatorships and thugs around the world.

Urge Congress to get behind this legislation. If companies like Chevron don't want to disclose how much revenue they've been sharing with Burma, we'll just have to make 'em.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons