There was a military coup, this is the reason Total continues to operate in Myanmar's gas fields

French oil and gas company Total said it would not stop producing gas in the Yadana field in Myanmar as long as operations were safe.  This was done in part to protect employees who were there as a result of the military junta's coup.

 Previously, Total came under pressure from human rights groups and Myanmar's parallel civilian government to review operations amid allegations of paying state taxes controlled by the military.

 In a newspaper column to be published in French Journal du Dimanche on Sunday and released online, Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said the company had several reasons to keep Yadana's offshore site running.

 It is feared that staff there could be subject to forced labor under the junta if they decide to stop production in protest at the violence in Myanmar, Pouyanne said.  Apart from that, the company also does not want to cut off the main energy source in the Southeast Asian country.

 "Can we stop the production of gas that supplies electricity to a large part of the population in Yangon, and increase their suffering?"  Pouyanne said in the statement.

 "The Thai authorities have warned us of the importance of this energy source," he continued.

 Located off Myanmar's southwestern coast in Martaban Bay, the Yadana field produces gas for delivery to power plants in Thailand.  They also supply Myanmar's domestic market, via an offshore pipeline built and operated by state energy company Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

 Pouyanne added that Total was considering whether it should place tax payments owed to Myanmar's states in an escrow account, as some global campaigners have suggested, but this could lead to local managers in violation of the law.

 The total has so far paid none of the US $ 4 million in monthly taxes normally paid to military governments, Pouyanne added, "for the simple reason that the banking system is no longer functioning."

 Total has suspended new projects and drilling in Myanmar in response to the crisis, and Pouyanne said the group was "shocked by the repressive measures it has taken."

 Myanmar security forces opened fire on pro-democracy protests on Saturday that killed at least five people, a protester and media said, as the military stepped up its efforts to contain dissent with warrants for 20 other high-profile critics.

 Pouyanne said Total would donate the equivalent of the group's tax payable to the Myanmar government to associations working for human rights in the country.