Protesters, wearing face masks of British American Tobacco Deputy Chairman Ken Clarke MP, will be demonstrating at BAT’s London HQ, calling on BAT to close the factory it jointly owns with Burma’s military dictatorship.
Protesters will also carry placards shaped as speech bubbles quoting a letter from Ken Clarke to a constituent in which he criticises companies “collaborating” with the regime in Burma.
In the letter he stated: “I must admit I sometimes feel uncomfortable about investment in that country.” He went on to say that: “The problem in Burma arises when companies start collaborating with an extremely unpleasant regime which is totally contrary to our notions of civil liberties and democracy.”
“We are not going to let Ken Clarke and BAT off the hook. His company is doing exactly what he says is part of the problem in Burma”, says John Jackson, Director of Burma Campaign UK. “BAT are collaborating with the military dictatorship. They are funding a regime that rapes, murders and tortures its own people. For £119,000 a year, Ken Clarke is prepared to defend this.”
The protest is being organised by the Burma Campaign UK, which launched a campaign against BAT in November 2002.
The protest will be from 12.30-1.30pm, with the photoshoot at 1pm. BAT’s head office is at 4 Globe House, Temple Place, London, right next to Temple tube station.
For more information contact Mark Farmaner, Media Officer, on 020 7281 7377