Lloyd's of London continued to come under fire from human rights advocates today over market members' business involvement with the military junta that controls the nation of Burma and has renamed it Myanmar.
The Burma Campaign was outside the Lloyd's building in London handing out leaflets that it described as open letters to Lloyd's staff, explaining "how Lloyd's of London is helping to fund Burma's 'brutal dictatorship.'"
Action by the group followed a report yesterday that the chairman of Lloyd's, Peter Levene, is being called on to give up a directorship with French oil firm Total because of its involvement with the Mynamar regime.
"Lloyd's are helping to fund a murderous dictatorship that rapes, tortures and kills those who call for human rights and democracy," according to Johnny Chatterton, campaign officer at Burma Campaign UK.
"The management of Lloyd's seem to think it is OK to help fund this brutal dictatorship," he added. "They're ignoring British government advice; they're ignoring the wishes of Burma's democrats. We hope Lloyd's staff will take the time to listen and question Lloyd's' Burma policy." According to Burma Campaign, three Lloyd's syndicates are known to insure risk in Burma, Catlin, Atrium and Kiln.
The group said Lloyd's of London refuses to reveal if other syndicates currently insure risk in Burma and has not responded to repeated requests to reveal all the sectors of Burmese business that are insured through the Lloyd's market.
The Burma Campaign said Lloyd's staff was being encouraged to "blow the whistle" and let the Burma Campaign UK know which Lloyd's companies are still insuring risk in Burma.
Meanwhile, The London Observer reported that Total–where Lord Levene was named a director for another three-year term–supplies the Burmese government with an estimated $1 billion in revenue through its oil and gas ventures.
The newspaper said John Bercow, a conservative member of Parliament who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for democracy in Burma, said Lord Levene had "sullied himself" by involvement with a company that props up a barbaric dictatorship.
Labor MEP Glenys Kinnock said he should resign his Total connection, the newspaper noted, but reported that Lord Levene had responded that he was not considering resigning from Total. He rejected the argument that oil and gas revenues and Lloyd's reinsurance infrastructure, owned by the Burmese junta, help it retain power, The Observer said.
A Lloyd's representative, Louise Shield, confirmed that Lord Levene would not give up his Total directorship. The Burma Campaign is only one viewpoint, she noted.
The Network Myanmar group–which has as its announced purpose improving the livelihood of the Burmese people and helping to resolve Myanmar's problems–says it believes "attempts to ostracize, isolate and punish Myanmar only serve to deprive the Burmese people of the necessary resources, tools and opportunities to address their existing day-to-day needs and to live in security and prosperity."
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