wfn.org | United Methodists applaud Supreme Court review

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Dec. 1, 1999  News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212)870-3803·New York
10-21-33-71B{646}

By Kelly Martini*

NEW YORK (UMNS) -- The Women's Division, United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries, is applauding a Nov. 29 U.S. Supreme Court decision to review
the Massachusetts Myanmar Law.

The intent of that law is to allow state and local governments to register
their objections to human rights abuses in other nations by restricting
purchases from companies that do business in those countries. 
	
The Nov. 29 decision comes after the Women's Division signed on to an amicus
brief in October with other non-profit organizations, showing support for
the Massachusetts law.  The friend-of-the-court brief was presented to the
Supreme Court with the request that the court hear the case.
 
The Massachusetts law limited state purchases in Myanmar, formerly Burma,
because of the abuse of human rights there. It gave a 10 percent cost
preference to bids from companies without business in Myanmar.

A lower court threw out the Massachusetts law earlier this year after it was
challenged by about 600 corporations under the name of the National Foreign
Trade Council.
	
"Signing on to the friend-of-the-court brief does two things," said Lois M.
Dauway, a Women's Division executive. "It shows our belief in a biblical
mandate to care for the 'least of these' and to 'do justice, love mercy, and
walk humbly with God' as we strive for human rights for all people,
especially the women and children who are most affected by these abuses.

"It also becomes a voice for those who are oppressed and dispossessed as we
confront hundreds of multinational corporations who ignore the human rights
abuses and make money by dealing with countries like Myanmar," she
continued.

According to the Supreme Court appeal, prepared by the Georgetown University
Law Center, "official reports of the U.S. government, the United Nations and
the International Labor Organization find that the military government of
Myanmar has violated international standards of public morality. These
abuses include forced labor, suppression of a democratically elected
government, suppression of individual political rights, torture, rape and
various forms of discrimination against ethnic minorities."

The Women's Division has also been engaged in various corporate shareholder
resolutions related to business ventures in Myanmar.

The Supreme Court case is Natsios vs. National Foreign Trade Council,
99-474. 

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*Martini is executive secretary for communications with the Women's
Division.

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United Methodist News Service
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