{"id":9,"date":"2008-03-18T11:36:34","date_gmt":"2008-03-18T09:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenman.co.za\/wordpress\/?p=9"},"modified":"2008-03-18T11:36:34","modified_gmt":"2008-03-18T09:36:34","slug":"standard-bank-and-the-chinese-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenman.co.za\/blog\/?p=9","title":{"rendered":"Standard Bank and the Chinese crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

I signed a petition<\/a> asking the Chinese government to respect human rights in China.<\/p>\n

A friend, who I forwarded it to, responded with something we can do a little closer to home. The ICBC, a majority state-owned institution, is now a 20% shareholder in Standard Bank. As he says, This means that everyone who banks with Standard Bank is banking with the Chinese government. Your bank fees go part way to buying truncheons for Chinese policemen. You wouldn’t bank with Al’Quaeda Bank. Why bank with China?<\/em><\/p>\n

Here is the text of a letter he sent to the CEO.<\/p>\n

Dear Mr Maree,<\/p>\n

You have doubtless read in the papers of the crackdown by the Chinese
\ngovernment against protestors in Tibet. You may be aware that the Dalai
\nLama has accused China of ‘cultural genocide’. Estimates put more than<\/p>\n

100 protesters dead, and the Chinese government has sealed Lhasa to
\nprevent further reporting of activities there. Given their record, there
\nis no reason for optimism.<\/p>\n

I am writing to you because the Chinese government is the majority
\nshareholder in the ICBC, which has just become a 20% shareholder in
\nStandard Bank. This means that when I bank with Standard Bank, I am
\ngiving my money to the Chinese government. Some of my bank fees fund
\ntruncheons for Chinese policemen. That makes me deeply uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

I believe that we in South Africa have special experience in finding
\npeaceful solutions, and that it is incumbent upon us to confront
\nauthoritarian regimes.<\/p>\n

I want to ask you how you, as Standard Bank, a proudly South African
\ninstitution, intend to confront your Chinese colleagues. I would like to
\nknow the concrete steps you will take to assist the people of Tibet. And
\nI would like you to emphasize to your Chinese colleagues that their
\nreprehensible activities in Tibet will have economic consequences for<\/p>\n

their bank in Africa.<\/p>\n

Sincerely hoping that China has bought only your bank, not your soul,<\/p>\n

Craig Mason-Jones
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Related posts:<\/p>\n