Asking Wallace Art Collection not to accept Total Blood Money

From Indymedia

We visited the Wallace Art Collection at Hertford House, Manchester Square, London on April 9th. They have been considering accepting money from the French oil company, Total that is the largest western sponsor of the brutal military junta in Burma and whose pipeline was built with slave labour. Total seeks to whitewash its dirty image by associating with the Arts.

When last asked Burma Campaign hadn't received a reply to their request to the gallery not to accept sponsorship from Total. At our last visit to the gallery on 19th March a senior member of the gallery had said a final decision had not yet been made. Since then an independent inquiry from an Indymedia reader, appeared to confirm that the gallery was going to accept sponsorship in the form of a "Corporate Membership" scheme for Total.

Several distinguished regular visitors to the gallery were very concerned that the gallery might be accepting Total sponsorship and gave us their full support. One was going to write to the director of the gallery and another who had lived in Burma spoke to the reception staff who denied Total sponsorship but seemed confused about the issue. So this visitor kindly asked the gallery to reply to Burma Campaign if they were not accepting money from Total. This time nobody from the gallery came and spoke to us.

We hope the gallery will help preserve humanity as well as Art !

Full Story and Burma news



Jersey Burma Water Festival Saturday April 12th

The Jersey Burma Group asked us to add news of this event. For anyone in Jersey, come and add to the candle lit vigil at the water feature and at the same time you’ll be supporting Burma Campaign UK and orphanages on the Burmese border. Saturday 12th April is an important date in Burma. It is the start of the Burmese Water Festival, an opportunity for fun and to jokingly criticise problems in the country before their New Year on 17th April.

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Location: Liberation Square, St Helier, Jersey
Street: Esplanade / La Route de la Liberation
Email: burmagroup [at] jerseymail (dot) co (dot) uk
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10647158348


Protests in London Next Week


Wednesday 16th April

[Edited 12th April - Burma Embassy closed all week for Burmese New Year so Cavendish Square protest time has been made earlier]

Total London HQ, 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
12.00-2:00pm
Tube: Oxford Circus | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tylug

Chiswick Total petrol station
5.00pm - 7.00pm (Wednesday 16th April)
Protest at West Four Total petrol station, 137 Chiswick High
Road, Chiswick W4 2ED
Tube: Turnham Green
Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yuqvch