Galloway launches campaign on factory conditions in Bangladesh

George Galloway today launched a campaign for western governments to penalise multinational companies which produce directly or buy from companies in developing countries if they don't take due precautions to ensure workers are producing in safe conditions. This follows the disaster in Bangladesh where more than 350 workers are now known to have died in a garment factory just outside Dhaka which was supplying western multinationals.

“This a terrible disaster,” said George Galloway this morning. “It has been caused by political corruption and negligence in Bangladesh and by the relentless drive by western multinationals for cheap sources of clothing. The western multinationals that bought their clothes from this factory owe compensation to the bereaved families and to the injured.

“However, quite understandably workers in Bangladesh are petrified that these foreign multinationals will take their business elsewhere to other low price, low wage economies. I've discussed this matter with people of Bangladeshi heritage in Bradford, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

“As a result I’m calling for western governments to bring in legislation which will mean western companies will face stiff penalties if they fail to take appropriate measures to ensure the workers in the factories from which they are buying are working in safe conditions. If this were the case, there would be no advantage in a company switching to lower cost producers, unless of course they were able to guarantee safer conditions for their workers.

“I also want the British government to work with the Bangladesh government to end the corruption that lies behind this disaster. Western governments and multinationals must take their share of responsibility for this disaster as must the government of Bangladesh.”

Ed Miliband and Me

Secrets are sometimes necessary in politics. So is telling the truth but not the whole truth. What is never acceptable are lies. Especially from the leader of a party still in recovery from a predecessor who may have fatally wounded it by the tower of lies he built along the path which led to a million dead Iraqis and cascading extremism around the world.

A Dream for the Ummah

Welcome to the MPACUK “A Dream for the Ummah” Conference

on Sunday 21st April 2013 10am - 4pm

This conference is for those who are courageous enough to dream and tenacious enough to fulfil their dream. For those who believe they can change the world. 

Hurry to reserve your place as limited places available.

For moe details and to reserve your place please click here

Plight of Rohingya

Rohingya, an ethnic minority community of Indo-Aryan origin from the state of Rakhine in Burma, has been living there since approximately 8^th century. They have been subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of majority Buddhist community since Burmese independence in 1948 from Britain.

In 1982 the Burmese government decided to derecognise them as citizens and treats them as illegal refugees. Since then they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of their religion and ethnicity by Buddhist majority backed by Burmese government.

These human beings have been subjected to worse persecution by the Buddhist majority and Burmese government. So much so, that they have been described by the United Nations as “the most persecuted minorities in the world”.

Their men, women, young and old are tortured, maimed, raped, killed, and burnt alive. Their properties destroyed, they are not only displaced but deprived of their basic human right of life. Since 1948, circa 1.5 million Rohingya have been forced to flee their homes to avoid persecution at the hands of majority Buddhists.

2012 saw the escalation of subhuman treatment of this community in the face of Rakhine state riots, where whole villages have been decimated. Hundreds of houses have been razed, thousands maimed, raped and killed; 80,000 people have been displaced and the situation is getting worse by the day.

The international community is unaware of their frightful situation due to neglect on the part of our mainstream media and governments, particularly Europe and America.  The very governments that go around propagating humanity, supporting “Arab spring” in the name of freedom from tyranny and dictatorships. They wage wars against oppression and terrorism.

Yet, they don't see the human suffering; “Buddhist terrorism” against Rohingya in Burma; the modern time “Holocaust”. The world and media are criminally silent in the face of blatant violations of human rights.

I urge every responsible human being to lobby their MPs to force Britain, Europe, America and rest of the world to pressurise the Burmese government to stop the violence against Rohingya, because “It is not about religion, it is about humanity”.