James Regan
4 April 2021,
CEO says Total employees at risk of forced labor or prison
French oil major is halting Myanmar gas well drilling campaign
Anti-coup protesters shout slogans towards approaching security forces as smoke rises from burning car tires in Yangon, Myanmar on March 28. Source: Getty Images
4 April 2021,
CEO says Total employees at risk of forced labor or prison
French oil major is halting Myanmar gas well drilling campaign
Anti-coup protesters shout slogans towards approaching security forces as smoke rises from burning car tires in Yangon, Myanmar on March 28. Source: Getty Images
French oil major Total SE must continue to produce gas in Myanmar and pay taxes to the military junta to protect staff from forced labor and maintain electricity supplies, Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said in an op-ed in Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Amid calls not to provide funds to the military, which ousted Myanmar’s parliament on Feb. 1, Total is scrapping plans to develop gas off the west coast and halting its gas well drilling campaign, Pouyanne said. He added that Total would donate the equivalent of the taxes owed to human rights associations.
