Los Angeles City Council urges pension divestment from companies doing business in Burma

The Los Angeles City Council on a unanimous 10–0 vote asked the city’s pension board to consider divesting from companies that continue business ties with Burma (Myanmar), citing mounting human-rights abuses there.

Councilmember Jackie Goldberg, who introduced the non-ordinance motion, said the "human-rights situation in Burma is getting worse" and urged the council to take a moral stand by using pension pressure on corporations that continue to operate in the country. "Aung San Suu Kyi, just last, a few weeks ago, was again prevented from travelling," Goldberg said, describing recent detentions of National League for Democracy leaders.

Public speakers who urged council action included Mary Shui, who described killings and repression by the Burmese military and called on the council to keep up pressure, and Jocelyn Seagrave of Burma Forum Los Angeles, who requested continued city support for democracy in Burma.

The motion is not an ordinance; it asks the Board of Pensions to review investments and consider divestment from named companies identified in investor-responsibility research. The council approved the item during its regular agenda and recorded the vote as 10 ayes.

Next steps: the motion asks the city’s pension oversight body to review the investor lists and consider divestment actions; no ordinance, binding divestment decision, or timetable was specified in the council action.

Sources: Council debate and public comment at the November 2000 City Council meeting.