The junta ruthlessly suppress all opposition and dissent through violence, fear and imprisionment - we must fight against this and take steps that impact upon the severing conditions that prolongue the rule of the junta. These include taking away their right to support themselves financially, which is why companies that give portions of their profits or hire Burmese workers must be stopped now.

Burma is a regime that kills monks who protest peacefully - an act that caused uproar even within neighbouring states who are not liberal democracies because Buddhist monks are generally revered and respected regionally.

According to the Burma Campaign: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/news/Biggest-Burma-Dirty-List-Ever-Published-30-Companies-Exposed:

"More companies than ever are investing in Burma in the oil, gas and dams sectors. New targeted sanctions against the regime must now be implemented if the international community is serious about cutting the regime’s financial lifeline” said Johnny Chatterton, Campaigns Officer at the Burma Campaign UK. “To those that claim investment aids the people of Burma, the evidence shows the opposite is true. As investment has increased, the human rights situation has deteriorated.”

"The human rights situation in Burma has deteriorated in Burma in the past year as the number of political prisoners has doubled to 2,100 and the regime continues to conduct military offensives against ethnic minorities."

"The current sanctions program fails to stop companies that invest in Burma from using financial, insurance and legal services from inside the European Union. The Burma Campaign UK is calling for a rolling series of targeted sanctions, including banning all investment, sanctions on banking and financial transactions, and a ban of insurance companies providing cover for Burma. The current EU sanctions program is outlined in the Notes to Editors, below."

"Major companies named and shamed on the list include: Toyota, Qantas, TOTAL Oil, Orient Express, Kuoni, TUI, Schlumberger, BBC Worldwide, Lonely Planet Daewoo, China National Offshore Oil Corp, and Hutchison Whampoa, owner of 3 Mobile."

"In the past year many companies have pulled out of Burma including Cotton Traders, XL, Trailblazer Guides, Jet Gold Corp, CHC and Aquatic. Since the Dirty List was first published six years ago over 100 companies have withdrawn from Burma including PwC, Rolls Royce, DHL, Swiss Re and Willis."

"The Burmese regime spends half its budget on the military and just 1.4% of GDP on health and education, less than half that spent by the next poorest country in Asia. Burma is the only country in Asia whose defence budget is greater than that of health and education combined. As a consequence Burma has the 4th highest child mortality rate in the world." [End Quote from Burma Campaign]