Bill Seeks to Put Pressure on Myanmar

State Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley) has introduced a bill that would bar state agencies from purchasing goods from companies doing business in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Similar laws have been passed by Massachusetts and a number of municipalities, including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Santa Monica. These measures are part of a grass-roots campaign designed to economically isolate Myanmar’s military rulers, who are accused of widespread human rights abuses and political repression. El Segundo-based Unocal Corp. is a partner in a $1.2-billion natural gas pipeline project in Myanmar, which is the largest foreign investment in the Southeast Asian country.