MARCH 19, 2004
Bush Markets
Burmese Products; Evades Own Trade Ban
According
to a new report, President Bush's official campaign is selling
clothing made in Burma – a country whose goods Bush
banned for sale in the
U.S. because of their awful human rights, narcotics and
sex trafficking
record. According to Newsday, "the merchandise sold on
www.georgewbushstore.com includes a $49.95 fleece
pullover, embroidered with
the Bush-Cheney '04 logo and bearing a label stating it
was made in
Burma,
now
Myanmar."
(1)
The
decision by the president's campaign to defy its own embargo directly
contradicts the president's pledge to enforce existing
trade laws. Just this
week the president said Americans need to be "treated
fairly" and pledged to
"make sure the playing field is level" on trade. (2) But
his decision to
market Burmese textile products evades laws that prevent
American workers
from having to compete with Burmese workers who have no
minimum wage, human
rights or labor protections. Since Bush was elected,
thousands of textile
jobs have been lost -- particularly in the South – and
many have questioned
whether the Administration is adequately enforcing trade
laws. (3)
On top of
evading his own trade laws, the president's effective endorsement
of Burmese goods means his campaign is marketing products
from a country the
State Department has repeatedly condemned for human
rights abuses (4) and
that the Treasury Department has cited for laundering
money from illegal
narcotics dealers (5). Just last year, the president
told the United
Nations it needed to more seriously address international
sex slavery,
saying, "there's a special evil in the abuse and
exploitation of the most
innocent and vulnerable." (6) But his own campaign is now
marketing products
from a country that experts cite as one of the leaders in
international sex
trafficking. (7)
Sources:
1. "Bush campaign gear made in Burma", Newsday, 03/18/2004.
2. "President Discusses Health Access", 03/16/2004.
3. "4,000 textile jobs lost in 2003", Charleston Post and Courier, 01/14/2004.
4. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Burma, US Department of State, 02/25/2004.
5. States News Service, 03/04/2004.
6. "President Bush Addresses United Nations General Assembly", 09/23/2003.
7. "Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Burma/Myanmar".