Main CDA findings (summary of the five reports)
Forced labor: The Army continues to use forced
labor in Myanmar, despite laws prohibiting the practice since 1999. Total is
very vigilant on this issue, and has developed an effective procedure for
putting pressure on the authorities. There is no forced labor in the pipeline
region, and the villagers recognize this, saying: "Total has allowed us to
sleep soundly."
Daily life in the pipeline region: The
presence of Total teams on site makes a decisive contribution to peace
and safety in the region. The Group's principles of conduct are respected
by
everyone involved, including the Army. For instance, its careful driving
policy and environmental protection measures are having a positive
impact. Its
initiative has promoted economic and social development, with benefits
that are apparent in health care, in school enrollment and in signs
of relative
prosperity, including a large number of houses and stores built using
more expensive materials, a wide range of products sold in the local
market, and more
motorized vehicles (taxis, buses and motorbikes).
The Socio-Economic Program (SEP): This
well-designed program is managed directly by a dedicated Total team.
The inhabitants of the 25 villages concerned know about and appreciate
the program,
which is relatively far-reaching in scope since over one-third of the
boarding students in the Kanbauk school, a quarter of outpatients and
nearly a quarter of in-patients in the
Kanbauk hospital come from outside the pipeline region. The CDA made
special
mention of the
following points:
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Elected Village Communication Committees, fairly unusual in the region, are
the main interfaces for the SEP teams, who regularly hold meetings for
all inhabitants in each village. Communication officers serve as go-betweens
with
the Communication Committees, which have helped transform the pipeline
region into "one of the very few pockets in Myanmar/Burma where some form
of civil society structure is in place." |
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The program's physicians, agriculturists and veterinarians live in the
villages, ensuring ongoing contact with the inhabitants. |
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The inhabitants appreciate Total's support in the area of infrastructure.
However, in this impoverished region, they are primarily interested in
the personal benefits generated by the Group's presence, such as jobs or outlets
for
their own businesses. |
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Aid is distributed fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner. No ethnic,
religious or other group receives preferential treatment. |
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While supported by aid, the projects usually involve a contribution from the
beneficiaries, which encourages the selection of viable projects. But the poorest
villagers, especially the many who own no land, find it difficult to make such
a contribution. To help them, Total launched a Backyard Vegetable Project,
whose success has led to it being extended to all villages. Educational and
health benefits are available to all villagers, regardless of their income
level. |
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Through its operations, the rules that contractors are required to respect
and the impact of the Socio-Economic Program, Total has created opportunities
in the country and the region. |
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CDA recommendations and criticisms
In particular, the CDA recommends:
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Gradually expanding the region covered by the SEP to avoid a discrepancy
between living standards in the region that benefits from the program and in
surrounding areas, which could create tensions. |
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Pursuing information campaigns for villagers on the program's economic
aspect. This would give them a more direct understanding of assistance
procedures so they are not overly reliant on the goodwill of Heads of Villages
for access to this information. |
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Implementing measures to make the VCCs more effective, such as training to
improve administration of assistance programs and strengthening the organization
in villages that joined the SEP in 2001. |
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Fully integrating the SEP into Total's pipeline operations in Myanmar,
by exploring the possibility of sourcing more supplies and contractors
locally,
which may require the introduction of appropriate training, and by increasing
contacts between Total's operating teams and the local residents. |
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Designing programs to provide economic opportunities for the poorest. |
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Making changes in the program to guarantee its long-term viability
and to avoid overdependence on aid from Total. This might include
introducing user fees
for the more affluent and providing training for local medical assistants,
veterinarians and agriculturalists, who will then be paid by the villages.
Training villagers to manage economic programs and microcredits
efficiently and transparently and designing future programs dependent
on villagers’ initiatives to enhance their self-reliance
and maintain infrastructure. |
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Promoting periodic elections for Village Communication Committee positions. |
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Discussing with the government possibilities to revamp the electrification scheme of the villages. |
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Engaging systematically with local representatives of civil society. |
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Focusing on increased sustainability and empowerment to make socio-economic development less dependent on activities by Total. |
