Boycott News Archive (from May 2006)
Paradise lost
Friends of Maldives has launched a boycott of specific tourist resorts
in the Indian Ocean linked to the Gayoom regime. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
has been ruling the Maldives as a dictatorship for 28 years and is accused
of human rights violations and political repression. Hundreds of pro-democracy
activists have been arrested, and fabricated charges of terrorism and
sedition have led to condemnation of the regime by human rights groups.
The recent arrest of Mohamed Nasheed, the chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party, and the jailing for 10 years of leading human rights activist Jennifer Latheef, have drawn the condemnation of Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders. As a result Gayoom has employed the services of PR firm Hill and Knowlton in an attempt to reduce the damage created by negative publicity of human rights violations and political repression.
The boycott has been developed by Maldivians who feel that tourism to these specific resorts has enabled President Gayoom to maintain his power base and stronghold over the people. They believe there are a number of resorts that are linked to leading figures in the regime. These people are actively involved in encouraging further human rights abuses, while working towards concealing these abuses from the international community.
Friends of Maldives asks that tourists continue to visit the country, but stay away from a few resorts. The list of boycotted resorts is available on its website www.friendsofmaldives.org
Donations and enquiries can be directed to: 64 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2BP or contact them at enquiries@friendsofmaldives.org
Blood on your hands, change your brands
Uncaged Campaign is organising its annual Boycott Procter & Gamble
Day on Saturday 20th May. P&G has been singled out by the group
due to its continued poisoning and killing of animals in the development
of new cosmetics, toiletries and household products. This year marks
the 10th anniversary of Global Boycott Procter & Gamble Day, and
Uncaged hopes to exceed last year’s total of 120 events taking
place across the world.
Dan Lyons, Uncaged Campaigns Director, explains:”The aim of the
campaign is to apply financial pressure to P&G to persuade them
to stop animal tests. Once people are informed, they’re eager to
boycott P&G because they don’t want to pay for gratuitous animal
suffering, and they can see that hundreds of companies make similar
products without resorting to cruel testing methods. We estimate that
P&G are losing at least £12 million worth of custom every
year in Britain alone.”
To launch the 10th year of their campaign, Uncaged projected ‘Procter & Gamble Test on Animals’ in 15ft high letters across the iconic ‘Angel of the North´ sculpture on Tyneside, where the company’s Global Business Services Centre is located.
P&G’s consumer products include: Iams pet food, Crest toothpaste, Tampax tampons, Head & Shoulders shampoo. Uncaged Campaigns can help with protests at P&G sites, information/protest events at supermarkets, town centre information stalls, leaflets, letter-writing blitzes etc. It has newly-designed leaflets, posters, stickers and petitions available.
There is a guide to making your voice heard on Global Boycott P&G Day at: www.uncaged.co.uk/pgpamphlet.doc
More information is available at www.uncaged.co.uk
or contact: Uncaged, 9 Bailey Lane, Sheffield S1 4EG
Tel: 0114 272 2220 or email info@uncaged.co.uk
Clean list
Austrian Airlines, Eastravel and Frommers Guides have joined the growing
exodus of companies ending their promotion of tourism to Burma. Austrian
Airlines subsidiary Lauda Air was the only airline in Europe with direct
flights to Burma, and the regime had warmly welcomed the flights, hoping
they would boost tourism and investment. There’s more good news
as Gill Clothing has also formally pledged to stop sourcing from the
country. Its clothing had been sporting Made in Myanmar labels.
“It is good to see companies responding to public pressure to stop promoting tourism to Burma,” said Anna Roberts, Campaigns Manager at the Burma Campaign UK. “Companies don’t want to operate there, and the public don’t want to visit, as they don’t want to put money into the pockets of Burma’s generals.”
In no other country are human rights abuses and tourism so closely linked. Slave and child labour was widely used to build the tourist infrastructure. Burma’s regime claims it earns $100 million a year from tourism.
Top brands to boycott because of Burma are: 3 Mobile, Chevron, DHL, Lonely Planet, Rolls Royce, Siemens, Superdrug, Suzuki and Total Oil. See the full list at www.burmacampaign.org.uk or telephone 0207 324 4710
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