Disapproval and 'disservice': how big oil got burnt in Rangoon
Terry Macalister
The Guardian - Tuesday September 17, 2002
May 1990: Premier became the first oil company to sign an exploration deal with Burma's military government, which has since been condemned for allowing human rights abuses and forced labour.
April 1998: imprisoned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi accuses Premier Oil of "doing a great disservice to democracy. It should be ashamed of itself".
May 1999: dissident shareholders fail to unseat Premier Oil chief executive Charles Jamieson but argue Burma stake should be sold because it involves too much political risk.
October 1999: Amerada Hess of US invests in Premier, along with Petronas of Malaysia, but stipulates that money is not to be used for Burma operations.
April 2000: Robin Cook, then foreign secretary, brings pressure to bear on Premier Oil to quit the Burma operation: "We do not approve of what Premier is doing."
May 2000: gas finally starts flowing from the Yetagun offshore field in Burma and is transported by pipeline to the export market in Thailand.
May 2000: Burma Campaign alleges a leaked envionmental impact assessment showed that Premier Oil was warned in 1996 of the potential for widespread human rights abuses in the area of its pipelines.
December 2001: Jupiter Asset Management and seven other pension funds with £400bn under management highlight the risks of Premier and other companies operating in Burma.
March 2002: Human rights activists in Britain and America coordinate a campaign against Amerada to increase pressure on Premier Oil.
September 2002: Premier pulls out of Burma but insists the move is commercial, not influenced by the campaign against it.