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Toyota’s Links to Dictators

Toyota Tsusho, a large holding company which is part of the Toyota Group is involved in several joint ventures with the Burmese military, including being a venture partner with the military and the Suzuki Motor Corporation in manufacturing and selling vehicles which may be used to repress the Burmese people. Toyota Tsusho and Suzuki are working in partnership with the Myanmar Auto and Diesel Engine Industries (MADI), which is a military-run enterprise. In addition, Myanmar Toyota Tsusho—a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho—operates a commodity, material and auto parts business in Burma, which is impossible to do without military involvement. Nor, with 90 employees, is Myanmar Toyota Tsusho an insignificant company. Another subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho, the Tomen Company, also operates in Burma. All of Toyota Tsusho’s ventures in Burma are generating revenues for the military dictators, which are used to repress and torture the Burmese people.

Especially now, with the military Junta pursuing a ridiculous constitutional referendum charade to cement its power—while an estimated 135,000 people are dead or missing following the devastating May 3 cyclone, with another 1.4 million people homeless, without food and at risk of cholera, typhoid and dysentery—we must ask why does Toyota insist on supporting the Burmese dictators?

Toyota Motors' link to Toyota Tsusho is clear. Not only is Toyota Tsusho part of the Toyota Group, but Toyota Motors owns 21.57 percent of Toyota Tsusho, while Toyota Industries owns another 11.12 percent, bringing Toyota's combined ownership to one-third. There is also a revolving door policy, as Toyota Motors and Toyota Tsusho share high level management and Board members. Moreover, sales to the Toyota Motor group accounted for over 16 percent of Toyota Tsusho's total business in 2006.

Today, 50 million Burmese people are stripped of their human rights and are the target of extreme and cruel abuse by the military dictators.
In Burma, the highest paid private sector factory workers earn just 11 to 12 cents an hour.
-11 to 12 cents an hour
-88 to 96 cents a day
-$5.31 a week
-$23.00 a month
-$276 a year

Outside the factory sector, urban workers are earning five to nine cent-an-hour wages. Public school teachers are paid two cents an hour.
The military government has declared the Federation of Trade Unions in Burma a "terrorist group." Six activists attending a labor rights workshop in Rangoon on May 1, 2007, have been sentenced to between 20 and 28 years in prison.
Forced labor, including the exploitation of children, continues in Burma, as do extrajudicial killings, disappearances, rape and torture.
More than 30 people were shot dead and 3000-plus arrested during the September 2007 pro-democracy protests.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and National League for Democracy General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest.

Its sad to see what goes around my families house over there. too sad to even describe this. having been to the affected area before the cyclone occured, its an interesting place. now wondering if the people that I've met survived, only god knows....