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  Security issues / Conflict zones: General materials Jan.-June 2002  

See also other materials on "Security issues / Conflict zones"

Jan.-June 2002:

Scores hurt in 3-day riot at HK-owned factory [China] - Thousands of workers at a Hong Kong-owned textile factory in Guangdong fought running battles with security guards in a three-day riot that left scores injured, media and officials said...Local officials said they did not know what sparked the violence at the factory. But the Yangcheng Evening News said it began on Monday after security guards armed with sharpened iron piping beat up one worker. (South China Morning Post [Hong Kong], 29 June 2002)

Poor work conditions fuel unrest in China - The plight of millions of migrant workers toiling for meagre wages in southern China has been thrown under the spotlight by a three-day textile worker riot. It started after security guards beat up an employee for jumping a meal queue. (James Kynge, Financial Times, 29 June 2002)

Corporate Human Rights -...For several years, a small group of lawyers and labor advocates has been trying to hold transnational companies responsible for their actions by suing them in the United States for abetting and/or benefiting from human rights abuses overseas. [refers to lawsuits against Unocal, Shell, Texaco, Rio Tinto, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, DynCorp, Drummond Company, ExxonMobil] (David Corn, The Nation, 27 June 2002)

O'Neill Opposes Capital Mkt Sanctions On Foreign Firms - U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill on Thursday reiterated the Bush administration's opposition to legislation that would bar oil companies operating in Sudan from raising money on U.S. capital markets..."A better way to deal with Sudan is to say no one should do any business with Sudan full stop," O'Neill said. (Elizabeth Price, Dow Jones, 27 June 2002)

Activist Groups Oppose Public Financing of Caspian Oil Pipeline [Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey] -...In a three-page letter sent Tuesday to the heads of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and U.S. and Japanese ECAs [export credit agencies], the groups [64 NGOs from 37 countries] argue that very few of the most important project documents have been released publicly and that the project's social, environmental, and even security impacts have yet to be fully assessed...Other partners besides BP include Italy's Eni, Statoil of Norway, and California-based Unocal. (Jim Lobe, One World, 26 June 2002)

Police shoot dead Indian tea worker - An Indian labourer was killed and at least five others injured when police opened fire on protesters at a tea plantation in West Bengal. (BBC News, 26 June 2002)

Talisman's woes keep oilpatch on guard: Third-world risk - The rise in human rights activism that is seen as driving Talisman Energy Inc. out of Sudan is inflating the risk for other Canadian oil and gas companies operating in the developing world, observers say. (Tony Seskus & Claudia Cattaneo, National Post [Canada], 24 June 2002)

G8: Failing to stop the terror trade - "The failure of governments from seven of the Group of Eight (G8) largest economies - the USA, the Russian Federation, France, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Italy and Canada - to regulate arms transfers is contributing to grave human rights abuses in developing countries and the destruction of millions of lives, particularly in Africa," Amnesty International said today. (Amnesty International, 24 June 2002)

Union says labor relations remain tense in Indonesia - Despite the lifting of the worst restrictions on labor union rights in 2000, many others still remain and labor relations have become increasingly tense, with many incidents of violent physical attacks on strikers, according to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). (Jakarta Post, 24 June 2002)

Reps. Hall and Wolf Commend GAO’s Conflict Diamond Report [USA] - Representatives Tony Hall (D-Ohio) and Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) on June 19 commended the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report on conflict diamonds, “Critical Issues Remain in Deterring Conflict Diamond Trade,” saying that the “damning report validates the concerns of Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada, and their coalition partners.” (Rapaport News, 24 June 2002) 

Sudan: Mixing Oil and Blood - A first-hand account of life and politics inside Sudan. There, a starving population has endured decades of war, sparked by religious differences, but now fueled by oil. [includes reference to Shell, Talisman Energy] (Benjamin Bock, in Amnesty Now, Amnesty International USA, summer 2002)

Corporate secrecy oils the wheels of poverty - While oil, gas and minerals are by far the largest sources of state revenue for the world's poorest nations, these resources, which should help fund development and sustainable economic growth, all too often turn out to be a curse, leading to increased poverty, child malnutrition and civil conflict. At the heart of this paradox is the secrecy surrounding payments by oil and mining companies to governments - a lack of transparency that provides the perfect cover for corruption and embezzlement by ruling elites. (Simon Taylor, Director of Global Witness, in International Herald Tribune, 20 June 2002)

Colombia most dangerous nation for union members [referring to annual survey by International Confederation of Free Trade Unions] (South African Press Association & AP, in Business Report [South Africa], 19 June 2002)

ICFTU condemns abuses of all core labour standards in India in new report - In a new report on India, produced to coincide with the 19-21 June WTO trade policy review, the ICFTU has condemned flagrant violations of workers’ trade union rights, including violence against trade union activists. The report also highlights “widespread child labour” with approximately 50 million children at work, at least 50% of whom are engaged in dangerous professions. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 19 June 2002)

Colombia's Ecopetrol on strike after unionist murdered (PetroleumWorld, 19 June 2002)

2001 Grim for Trade Unions, New Survey Shows - Labor unions around the world faced a difficult year in 2001 due both to direct and sometimes violent repression, as well as the continuing pursuit by major multinational corporations of cheap labor in poor countries, according to the latest in a series of annual reports by the Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 18 June 2002)

Anti-union repression still on the rise worldwide - The ICFTU’s Annual Survey on trade union rights violations, which covers 132 countries and territories across the world, notes 223 cases of murdered or “disappeared” trade unionists in 2001 (i.e. 14 more than in 2000), with a terrifying record number of 201 assassinations or disappearances in Colombia alone. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 18 June 2002)

Liberian Flag Registry Linked to Conflict Diamonds - U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke out in favor of ending support for Liberia’s flag registry because Liberian President Charles Taylor uses the revenues to fund the conflict diamond trade. (Rapaport News, 17 June 2002) 

Bad business in Burma - In a boon for human rights and corporate responsibility, a Superior Court judge in California last week refused to dismiss a suit charging that the energy company Unocal is liable for human rights abuses perpetrated by the military junta in Burma while the regime was under contract to provide security for Unocal and its partners in a natural gas pipeline project. (editorial, Boston Globe, 16 June 2002)

ExxonMobil-Sponsored Terrorism? Why are villagers in the Aceh province of Indonesia--or their lawyers--worrying about contributions from Exxon Mobil to George W. Bush and the Republicans? - A year ago, the Washington-based International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit against the energy behemoth, claiming the Mobil half of the conglomerate in the 1990s paid and supported Indonesian military troops that committed human rights abuses in the war-torn province. (David Corn, The Nation, 14 June 2002)

Partnership Canada Releases Conflict Diamonds Report - Partnership Canada published a report on June 14 that links conflicts in African nations such as The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Angola to the illicit trade of conflict diamonds. (Rapaport News, 14 June 2002) 

ONGC seals first move into Sudan oil - Oil & Natural Gas Corp, the Indian state-owned group...yesterday concluded negotiations in London to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the Greater Nile Oil Project from Talisman Energy of Canada...Mr Buckee [Talisman's CEO] has in the past been critical of non-governmental organisations, warning that their campaigns for his company to leave Sudan could be counter-productive. In October he said the Asian state-owned groups and Saudi princes vying for the assets were unlikely to be as enthusiastic about corporate social responsibility as Talisman. (Matthew Jones & Khozem Merchant, Financial Times, 13 June 2002)

Liberia Takes Steps To Monitor Diamond Traffic (Rapaport News, 12 June 2002) 

"African Oil Policy Initiative Group" - U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa - Statement of Chairman Ed Royce -...Let's be frank: oil development has proven to be more of a curse than a blessing for many developing nations. Few have put oil revenue to good use. Oil revenue has often been squandered...In the worst cases, oil has fueled civil war. This has been the case in Angola for years; over the last few years, oil has intensified the long and brutal war in Sudan...[The] Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project...brings together the World Bank, energy companies, the governments of Chad and Cameroon, and civil society...in an effort to see that the oil revenue...works toward the goal of national development...I believe this approach holds great promise for current and future African oil producing nations...The practice of turning a blind eye as oil revenues are misused is not good for our country's strong interest in seeing the world's poorest continent develop; it's certainly not good for Africans; and ultimately it's bad business for energy companies. (U.S. State Department, 12 June 2002)

Coke, Colombia bottler fight lawsuit [USA] - Attorneys for Coca-Cola and its bottlers in Colombia argued Thursday that a federal judge in Miami should dismiss a $500 million lawsuit claiming the companies were indirectly responsible for anti-union violence in the war-torn nation. (Scott Leith, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 7 June 2002)

World Diamond Council Affirms Support for Kimberley Process (Rapaport News, 5 June 2002)

U.S. House members slam Bush's Sudan oil policy - Members of the House International Relations Committee lashed out at the Bush administration on Wednesday for blocking legislation aimed at cutting off oil revenues that Sudan is using to finance its war against rebels in the south. (Vicki Allen, Reuters, 5 June 2002)

Haiti Condemned Over Violence Against Labor Activists - The world's leading umbrella organization of free trade unions has condemned the treatment of labor activists by authorities in Haiti, following reportedly fatal clashes last week between plantation workers and guards in the northern part of the country. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 5 June 2002)

SUDAN: Civilian suffering continues as war rages [refers to fighting in oil-producing areas] (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 4 June 2002)

Our Fruit, Their Labor and Global Reality [banana companies in Ecuador] - Noboa, an Ecuadorean company that is the nation's largest banana producer, sent an armed force of several hundred men to confront the striking workers; Human Rights Watch released a report alleging widespread abuses in the industry, including the use of child labor. If globalization is to benefit all, why are the big banana companies so comfortable with the use of child labor, with violations of workers' rights and with substandard wages? [refers to Noboa, Dole, Del Monte, Chiquita] (Dana Frank, Professor of American Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz, in Washington Post, 2 June 2002)

Global Compact Business Guide for Conflict Impact Assessment and Risk Management [includes sections on impact assessments for: human rights, humanitarian law, labour, environment] (U.N. Global Compact, June 2002)

Show the G8 the red card - G8's uncontrolled trade in arms and military aid undermines fundamental human rights -...too often, by exporting military and security equipment, the G8 are contributing to human rights abuses and undermining the prospects for social and economic development around the world. (Amnesty International, June 2002)

Khartoum cuts southern aid route to oil regions - The Sudanese government on Wednesday agreed to a resumption of aid flows into the highly contested area of western Upper Nile, southern Sudan, but on the condition that relief flights pass through the north...Recent months have seen an upsurge in fighting in Unity State/western Upper Nile between Sudanese government and aligned militia forces, on the one hand, and the rebel SPLM/A, on the other, essentially over control of the area's rich oil resources. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 31 May 2002)

The question of the trade, carrying and use of small arms and light weapons in the context of human rights and humanitarian norms - Working paper submitted by Ms. Barbara Frey (Barbara Frey, document for U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, 30 May 2002)

ExxonMobil Fights Indonesia Rights Suit - ExxonMobil Corp is trying to persuade a [U.S.] federal court to dismiss a year-old lawsuit against it that alleges complicity in atrocities in Indonesia, court documents showed. (Agence France Presse, 30 May 2002)

Sudan govt unable to defeat rebels in oil areas: think tank - Sudan's military has failed to make headway into oil-rich southern areas under rebel control despite having acquired modern weaponry with revenue from petroleum exports, a representative of an international research organisation [International Crisis Group] said here Wednesday...Sudan's government had failed in its objective of "depopulating much of the area south of Bentiu and secure them for oil exploitation", Prendergast told a media briefing after touring southern Sudan. (AFP, 30 May 2002)

Oil revenue key to solving Sudan conflict (Bill Farren-Price, UPI, 30 May 2002)

ICFTU backs campaign to reveal the true face of 'modern' Korea [South Korea] -...a government using antiquated legislation and a police force with a tendency to use violence to repress workers’ rights...numerous trade union leaders behind bars. Anti-union violence is rife. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 30 May 2002)

Hall Introduces Resolution Banning Uncertified DRC Diamonds [USA] - Rep. Tony Hall (D-Ohio) and other members of Congress have introduced a nonbinding resolution that calls on the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on diamonds mined by in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that have not been certified by the government as conflict free. The UN currently embargoes all diamonds mined in Liberia and diamonds mined by rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola. Management for the World Diamond Council (WDC) and Jewelers of America (JA) announced their support of the resolution. (Rapaport News, 28 May 2002)

Saving Sudan -...But the great wild card is oil, which Sudan began exporting three years ago. The oil allows the government to shop for weapons in Moscow and drives it to massacre southern villagers around the oil fields on the theory that they may harbor rebels...For all the logic of peace, oil makes the logic of war even more compelling. (Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post, 27 May 2002)

Pro-government Sudan militia denies bombing town - The pro-government Southern Sudan Defence Force militia has denied reports that government planes bombed a village in the oil-rich Unity state last week, and instead accused rebels of killing civilians. (Reuters, 27 May 2002)

Over a Barrel in Sudan: Is Talisman's oil-processing facility aiding development or funding war? (David Hecht, Fortune, 27 May 2002)

{···español} Violencia contra trabajadores bananeros ecuatorianos en huelga por sus derechos [Noboa, Dole] (UITA - Unión Internacional de los Trabajadores de la alimentación, Agrícolas, Hoteles, Restaurantes, Tabaco y Afines, 24 mayo 2002)

In Khartoum's Oil Pipelines flow Blood [Sudan] - Two documents on the Sudan released almost simultaneously last week expose the complexities and contradictions inherent in the search for peace in that country's conflict that has lasted two decades, killed two million people, displaced 4.5 million others and burnt hundreds of billions of dollars. And nowhere is this more dramatic than in the reports' treatment of the role of oil in the war between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and its allies, and the Government of Sudan [refers to Talisman Energy, Chinese National Petroleum Corporation, Petronas Carigali and Sudapet] (Peter Wanbali, The Nation [Kenya], 21 May 2002)

Violence Against Ecuadorian Banana Workers Striking for their Rights [refers to companies: Noboa, Dole] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 21 May 2002)

Violence towards foreign workers [Israel] -...Last Pesach eve, thugs accompanied by police patrol cars, raided a group of Chinese workers in the Petach Tikva industrial area. (Kav La'Oved [Israel], 19 May 2002)

Ecuador Border Tainted by U.S.-Made Coca Killer - Collateral Damage from Colombia's Drug War -...In an attempt to kill coca leaf -- the raw material for cocaine -- Colombian planes are using a U.S.-manufactured herbicide near the border with Ecuador...But residents of San Francisco 2 want the spraying stopped. In February, they filed a class action lawsuit for unspecified damages in Washington against the Dyn Corp., a Virginia firm responsible for the spraying. (Reese Ehrlich, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 May 2002)

Sudanese Rebels To Continue Attacking Oil Installations -..."The oil exploration, the oil installations, are legitimate military targets because it fuels the war," Kwaje told The Associated Press. (AP, 17 May 2002)

{···español} Sospecha rodea muerte de dirigentes indígenas [Ecuador] - El accidente de una avioneta en que murieron hace seis días tres dirigentes del pueblo shuar enfrentados con la compañía petrolera Burlington, en el suroriente de Ecuador, pudo ser consecuencia de un sabotaje, advirtieron organizaciones indígenas. (Kintto Lucas, IPS, La Hora [Ecuador], 16 mayo 2002)

HRW And CRS Criticise Danforth's Report [Sudan] -...In a statement issued on Wednesday, CRS [Catholic Relief Services] applauded the progress made by Danforth, but urged for greater attention be paid to the right of self-determination and the destructive role of oil exploitation in Sudan. (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, 16 May 2002)

Liaoyang Police Again Use Violence Against Workers Holding a Peaceful Petition [China] (China Labour Bulletin, 15 May 2002)

Depopulating Sudan's Oil Regions, January to March 2002 (Diane deGuzman, edited by Egbert G. Ch. Wesselink, for the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan, 14 May 2002)

No end to the savagery in Colombia -...“It is clear to us,” said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder, “ that despite repeated promises, forces linked to the government in Colombia have not ceased to target trade unionists.”...being involved in trade union activity in Colombia is tantamount to suicide; the 184 assassinations in 2001 and the steadily mounting total of 67 this year are testimony to that. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 13 May 2002)

British firm accused of still making landmines (Reuters, 13 May 2002) 

Occidental Pipeline in Colombia Strikes It Rich in Washington - The Bush Administration has proposed $98 million in military aid to protect Occidental's Cano-Limon pipeline in Colombia, despite its environmental and economic liabilities. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 10 May 2002)

{···español} Carta de protesta: horror y desesperanza del sindicalismo colombiano (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 7 mayo 2002)

515 delegates debate plan for Africa: Proponents tout more business investment; critics point to earlier failed policies [refers to Sudan; Talisman Energy] (Jeff Heinrich, Gazette [Montreal], 5 May 2002)

U.S. Urges Sudan to Divide Oil Income as Step to Peace - President Bush's special envoy for Sudan, John C. Danforth, has recommended that the Sudanese government share its oil revenue with rebels as part of an effort to end a decades-long civil war... The rebels say oil provides the money that pays for the Islamic government's military campaigns against the mostly Christian and animist south. (Marc Lacey, New York Times, 5 May 2002)

Talisman in talks with India over selling Sudan - The chief executive of Talisman... confirmed it is in talks with India's national oil company and a handful of others for a sale of its controversial Sudan interests...Dr. Buckee made the comments after the company's annual meeting, which was once again dominated by confrontation with human rights and religious organizations, as well as representatives of Southern Sudan... Some even suggested that Dr. Buckee should be indicted for war crimes. (Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post [Canada], 2 May 2002)

Conflict Prevention and Revenue-Sharing Regimes: Prepared for the United Nations Global Compact Policy Dialogue: Business in Zones of Conflict [refers to mining industry; oil industry; World Bank; Shell; BP; Angola; Statoil; indigenous peoples; Western Mining Co., Normandy Mining; Rio Tinto; BHP-Billiton; Social investment projects: Freeport McMoRan in Irian Jaya, Placer Dome in Papua New Guinea, Newmont & Rio Tinto in Indonesia; Natural resource funds in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Alaska/USA, Chad-Cameroon pipeline - ExxonMobil - Petronas - Chevron, Nigeria]  (Juliette Bennett, May 2002)

Multinational Enterprises in Situations of Violent Conflict and Widespread Human Rights Abuses - This report considers the challenges of conducting business responsibly in countries characterised by civil strife and extensive human rights violations. It focuses particularly on extractive industry companies and documents the search for solutions. [includes reference to oil/gas and mining industries; Burma, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Colombia, Indonesia, Sudan] (Kathryn Gordon, OECD, May 2002)

Decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on communication 155/96, submitted by The Social and Economic Rights Action Center and the Center for Economic and Social Rights [case concerning the Ogoni people in Nigeria] - In this decision the African Commission finds the former military government of Nigeria violated rights of the Ogoni people in connection with state violence and abuses around oil development in the Niger Delta. (African Commission on Human Rights, May 2002)

Brazil: nomads face extinction - One of the last nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes in Brazil faces extinction. Surrounded by massive cattle ranches, loggers and hundreds of illegal settlers, the Awá Indians of Maranhão state are being squeezed off their land, while ranchers' hired gunmen kill those they find. But an imminent court case about Awá land could make all the difference. (Survival International, May 2002)

Other Facets [a periodic newsletter about the international effort to end diamond-related conflict], issue number 6 - articles covering Kimberley Process; U.S. legislation; Liberia; Angola] (Partnership Africa Canada, May 2002) [to download this pdf file directly, click here: http://www.partnershipafricacanada.org/pdf/Other_Facets6.pdf]

Indonesia: Gas Project Promises Income [contract for natural gas production in West Papua, a project between BP & Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina] - West Papuans Not Excited -...But many West Papuans feel that real benefit from the project is likely to go, as in the past, to Jakarta instead of their province, which remains among the poorest although it is home to a lot of multinational investments...Indeed, many activists have security and environmental fears about the natural gas project, given bitter experiences with past foreign investments drawn to the island (Prangtip Daorueng, Inter Press Service, 30 Apr. 2002)

Talisman Advised - Further Abuses Could Result In Prosecution In International Criminal Court - Rights & Democracy advised oil corporation Talisman today that future complicity in Sudanese human rights abuses could be liable for prosecution by the impending International Criminal Court. (Rights & Democracy, 30 Apr. 2002)

Seven Banana Workers/SINTRAINAGRO Members Murdered in Colombia [reportedly on 26 April by guerrillas belonging to the "Fifth Front" of the FARC guerrilla forces] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 30 Apr. 2002)

ChevronTexaco seeks release of hostages in Nigeria -...Nigerian analysts fear the incident could signal the start of a new cycle of attacks on oil multinationals by local people in oil-producing areas demanding a greater share of Nigeria's mineral wealth (Reuters, 23 Apr. 2002)

Congo [Democratic Republic of Congo] Signs On To Kimberley Process [conflict diamonds] (Rapaport News, 22 Apr. 2002)

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Agrees to Reopen Marsinah Case [Indonesia]: The murder of Marsinah--who was a worker at PT Catur Perkasa Surya in Sidoarjo, East Java--has been always questioned at the conferences of the International Labour Organization (ILO). (Dede Ariwibowo, Tempo [Indonesia], 22 Apr. 2002) 

Rights body may reopen probe into Marsinah case [Indonesia]: The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has uncovered enough new information to reopen the investigation into the 1993 slaying of female labor activist Marsinah...Labor activist Marsinah was found dead near Nganjuk, East Java, on May 9, 1993, after leading a strike at PT Catur Putra Surya, a watch factory in Sidoarjo, East Java. Her badly mutilated body showed signs of torture and rape. (Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta Post, 20 Apr. 2002) 

Policy Dialogue Focuses on Business in Zones of Conflict - More than 60 experts from, industry, non-governmental organizations, the public policy community, and the United Nations met in New York on 17-18 April to grapple with the complex issues posed by business operations in zones of conflict. (U.N. Global Compact, 19 Apr. 2002)

SUDAN: "War raging" around southern oilfields -...The SPLA has said fighting in the area began in February when the government tried to force residents and the rebel movement from the area in order to secure it for oil production. On Thursday, it deplored the alleged forcible displacement of the indigenous population from the villages of Wang Kai and Rier "to make these areas safe for the foreign multinational oil companies to operate". [refers to Lundin Oil, Talisman Energy] (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 19 Apr. 2002)

Megawati backs worker death probe [Indonesia]: President Megawati Soekarnoputri gave the go-ahead on Thursday to efforts to reopen investigations into the killing of woman worker Marsinah in 1993. (Jakarta Post, 19 Apr. 2002)

Teamsters Union Protests at Coke Meeting [USA] - Accusing the Coca-Cola Company of "closing its eyes" to the intimidation, torture and assassination of union workers who bottle its drinks, the Teamsters union demanded yesterday that the company adopt and enforce strict labor standards for the manufacture of its products around the world. (Greg Winter, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2002)

UN Sanctions Curb Liberian Diamond Trade (Rapaport News, 17 Apr. 2002)

Hoffa Tells Coke: Murder Is More Than A PR Problem - Hoffa, Colombian Leader Correa Demand Negotiated Rights Agreement: James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President, on Wednesday joined Colombian union leader Javier Correa and a global delegation of Coca-Cola union leaders in Coke’s annual shareholders meeting to demand that Coke negotiate a worldwide agreement to protect its workers’ rights and safety. (Campaign for Justice at Coca-Cola, 17 Apr. 2002)

LIBERIA: U.N. Panel To Recommend Extending Sanctions, Report Says [refers to conflict diamonds] (UN Wire, 17 Apr. 2002)

BP Complicity in China's Exploitation of Tibet: Campaigners Set Sights on company AGM after BP stonewalls rights groups - Tibet campaigners have pledged to highlight at this week's BP AGM (18 April) how the company's collaboration with PetroChina makes BP complicit in abusive policies in Chinese occupied Tibet. (Free Tibet Campaign, 16 Apr. 2002)

What Really Happened at the Barrick Gold Mine in Tanzania? An international NGO fact-finding mission is calling on the Canadian government to support its call for a full and independent public inquiry into the alleged 1996 forced evictions and burial of miners at the Canadian-owned Bulyanhulu gold mine in Tanzania. (Rights & Democracy, 16 Apr. 2002)

Union Activist: Co.'s Hire Attackers [Colombia]: Hiring paramilitary groups to attack and threaten union leaders is a common practice by foreign companies operating in Colombia, a union activist from the country said Tuesday [refers to lawsuits against Drummond Co. and Coca-Cola] (Associated Press, 16 Apr. 2002)

Harvard Students Tell Coke: Stop the Killings - Global Entourage of Coca-Cola Union Workers Visit Campus to Share Stories - Coca-Cola workers from Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines, Zimbabwe and the U.S. visited Harvard today to share their stories of kidnapping, torture and harassment of trade union members at Coca-Cola production, bottling and distribution centers. (International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 15 Apr. 2002)

Canada's Talisman plans to remain in Sudan: A leading Canadian energy firm has pledged to remain in Sudan despite threats by rebel forces...Hears asserted that his company will not end operations in Sudan despite criticism of Canadian human rights groups. (MENL, 12 Apr. 2002)

Colombian rebels declare war on oil:...Commander Pablo, a representative of the ELN (National Liberation Army in English), told reporters that Occidental Petroleum from the US, Spanish-Argentine combine Repsol-YPF and Colombia's own Ecopetrol were now targets. (BBC News, 10 Apr. 2002)

ICFTU hails coming into force of International Criminal Court as a milestone for international justice:...Victims of gross human rights violations, of forced labour with torture, victims of gender-based violence as well as families of murdered trade unionists now have some hope that the international community is moving resolutely towards an international justice system that could contribute to redressing wrongs. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 10 Apr. 2002)

Chinese workers rally to demand back pay from toy plant: More than 300 laid-off migrants protested on Wednesday to demand back pay from a southern China toy plant where they had toiled under sordid conditions that led clients to cancel their orders...Multinational firms such as Mattel Inc., MGA Entertainment and Wal-Mart Stores Inc had cancelled their orders with the plant after receiving reports of squalid conditions, China Labour Watch said. (Reuters, 10 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Vinculan a Daimler con la dictadura [Argentina]:...Así lo informó ayer en una conferencia de prensa en Berlín, en la que la entidad pidió investigar la presunta complicidad de directivos de la ex Daimler-Benz en Buenos Aires con desapariciones y asesinatos de 15 sindicalistas que trabajaban en la planta de esa empresa. (Sindicato Mercosul, 10 abril 2002)

{···español} Accionistas de la empresa alemana piden explicaciones [Argentina]: La memoria de Mercedes Benz - En una asamblea de la empresa, la Asociación de Accionistas Críticos pedirá hoy que designe al Premio Nobel de la Paz, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel para investigar el rol de esa compañía en la represión. (Página 12 [Argentina], 10 abril 2002)

LIBERIA: Stop buying conflict timber, environmental watchdog appeals - The international environmental watchdog, Global Witness, appealed on Monday in an open letter to a Danish company, DLH Nordisk, to stop buying ‘conflict timber’ from Liberian companies. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 9 Apr. 2002)

De Beers’ O’Ferrall Gives Conflict Diamonds Speech at Basel: The director of public and corporate affairs for De Beers...stressed the importance of continuing to work towards combating conflict diamond trading. (Rapaport News, 9 Apr. 2002)

Colombian Rebels Free Union Leader: A leader of an oil workers' union was freed Sunday by a right-wing paramilitary group which had kidnapped him more than a month ago, the government said. (Associated Press, 7 Apr. 2002) 

International and U.S. solutions to the problem of "conflict diamonds", gems whose mining and export is tainted by violence and terrorism (Anita Ramasastry, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle and Associate Director of Shidler Center for Law, Commerce & Technology, FindLaw's Legal Commentary, 3 Apr. 2002)

Blood Diamonds Kept War Flowing [Angola]: Angola's Unita rebels, who signed a ceasefire deal with the army on Saturday, had lost most of their territory since 1998 but managed to keep fighting because of their illegal trade in diamonds. (South African Press Association, 2 Apr. 2002)

Shell on Trial in the Niger Delta: This week multinational Shell Petroleum Development Corporation settled one of two major cases brought against them by local peoples suffering the consequences of their operations in the Niger Delta. [settlement of lawsuit for alleged damage to Ogbodo community caused by oil pipeline explosion; also refers to ongoing lawsuit on behalf of the relatives of Ogoni environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others who were publicly executed in Nigeria after speaking out against environmental degradation caused by Shell operations in 1995] (Cultural Survival, 1 Apr. 2002)

UN monitors sanctions on Liberia:...The sanctions include a ban on diamond exports (BBC News, 1 Apr. 2002)

UN Global Compact Case Studies of Multistakeholder Partnership: Policy Dialogue on Business in Zones of Conflict (edited by Virginia Haufler, University of Maryland, Apr. 2002)

The key to peace: Unlocking the human potential of Sudan - Interagency briefing paper -...The extraction of oil is fuelling war and allowing increased military expenditure to occur. Conflict in the oil fields is escalating as warring parties reposition and shift allegiances. The recent attack in the remote town of Bieh, which killed at least 24 people, was a tragic reminder that civilians are paying the cost of oil extraction. (Christian Aid, CARE-International, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tear Fund, Apr. 2002)

Hiding between the streams - the war on civilians in the oil regions of southern Sudan (Christian Aid and Dan Church Aid, Apr. 2002)

Report of an Investigation into Forced Displacement in the Town of Mankien, Western Upper Nile, Sudan (Gary W. Kenny, Researcher/Policy Advocate - Human Rights Africa, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, Apr. 2002)

Way beyond petroleum: Oil giant British Petroleum’s glossy, eco-friendly advertising campaign says the company has gone ‘beyond petroleum’. In resource-rich West Papua, the company seems to be living up to its claim by helping to fund an emerging government. Can it be trusted? If not, what’s the alternative? [refers also to Freeport McMoRan] (New Internationalist, Apr. 2002)

Companies in Conflict Situations: Mineral Extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo [refers to H.C. Stark of Germany (a subsidiary of Bayer AG), Ulba of Kazakhstan, and Cabot Corporation of the United States; French companies Safmarine, SDV-Transintra, Martinair; OSLEG, a company owned by Zimbabwe's army; Zimbabwean investor John Bredenkamp's Tremalt Ltd] (Oxford Analytica, prepared for International Business Leaders Forum and TimeFORTUNE, Apr. 2002)

Sudan rebels say kill 300 troops near oilfields: Rebels in Sudan said on Sunday they had killed 300 army soldiers in their biggest battle since the government launched an offensive to secure oil-producing areas early this year...''We want oil companies to immediately evacuate the area and go away, they still remain a legitimate target and the SPLA does not take prisoners,'' Garang said...The rebels say the government is using an increasing flow of oil revenues to buy weapons. (Matthew Green, Reuters, 31 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Honduras/EE.UU: campesinos muertos - Tres campesinos de Honduras murieron y otros dos fueron heridos por disparos de guardias de la empresa transnacional estadounidense Standard Fruit Company, subsidiaria de Dole Foods. (BBC Mundo, 30 marzo 2002)

Ecuador Police Detain, Deport Anti-Pipeline Activists: Ecuador's police have detained 17 environmental activists who tried to block construction of a controversial oil pipeline through an ecologically unique Andean rainforest and plans to immediately deport the 14 foreigners in the group (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 29 Mar. 2002) 

Outcry as Another Colombian Union Leader Slain Amid Rising Tensions: International unions are denouncing last week's murder, apparently by right-wing paramilitary forces, of a union leader in a key oil-refining center, the northern city of Barrancabermeja, that has become Colombia's bloodiest urban battleground over the past two years. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 28 Mar. 2002) 

Khartoum insists civilian protection accord covers oil installations: A senior Khartoum official said Thursday a US-brokered accord to protect civilians in Sudan's long-running civil war also applies to oil installations which rebels have declared a legitimate target...The SPLA has warned in the past that the oil regions are "legitimate military targets," charging that revenues are used to finance Khartoum's "war machine" rather than raise the standard of living for civilians. (AFP, 28 Mar. 2002)

Final Solutions: How IBM Helped Automate the Nazi Death Machine in Poland (Edwin Black, Village Voice, 27 Mar. - 2 Apr. 2002)

The Economies of Conflict - Private Sector Activities and Armed Conflict [series of reports analysing the connections between private sector activity and armed conflict, and ways to break the cycle of violence] (Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science, 25 Mar. 2002)

Kimberley Process Makes Headway, But No Final Agreement [conflict diamonds] (Rapaport News, 25 Mar. 2002)

Sierra Leone Can’t Control Illicit Diamond Smuggling (Rapaport News, 25 Mar. 2002)

New Report Targets Embezzlement of Billions of Angola’s Petrodollars to Bring Chance for Lasting Peace:...International oil companies and banks are complicit in this process of embezzlement because they refuse to publish what they pay to the Angolan State, preventing ordinary Angolans from calling their government to account over missing oil revenues. International oil companies like ChevronTexco, TotalFinaElf and ExxonMobil claim that payments are confidential, although they routinely publish such information in developed countries. “As a result, this lack of transparency allows the ruling elite to embezzle the State’s assets with impunity, whilst one child dies every three minutes of preventable causes in this war-ravaged country” (Global Witness, 25 Mar. 2002)

Talisman questions memo on Sudan ethnic cleansing: Talisman Energy Inc. said on Monday it does not know the origin of a memo that human rights groups say shows the Canadian oil producer asked Sudan's army in 1999 to remove villages near its oil facilities in the war-torn African country...Human rights groups have filed the document as evidence in U.S. federal court in a lawsuit alleging Talisman has conspired with the Sudanese government in ethnic cleansing that killed or removed non-Muslim civilians living in proximity to Sudan's oil production regions. (Reuters, 25 Mar. 2002)

Alabama coal giant is sued over 3 killings in Colombia:...Now the state's largest mining business, the Drummond Company, has been accused of encouraging the assassination of three union leaders at its giant coal mine in Colombia. (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2002)

DIAMONDS [conflict diamonds]: Kimberley Process Reaches Breakthrough On Certification - Negotiations in Ottawa on requiring certificates of origin for diamonds -- the so-called Kimberley Process -- reached a breakthrough Wednesday (UN Wire, 22 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Gobierno usa la fuerza contra indígenas [Ecuador]: El defensor del Pueblo, Claudio Mueckay, exhortó al ministro de Gobierno, Marcelo Merlo, para que cesen los procedimientos de fuerza que adoptan contra las comunas indígenas. El Defensor del Pueblo explicó que los procedimientos de fuerza se refieren a los indígenas, colonos y campesinos con motivo de la construcción del OCP y de la exploración y explotación petrolera en las provincias de Sucumbíos y Orellana. (La Hora [Ecuador], 22 marzo 2002)

U.S.: Diamonds Issue Still Needs Polishing: Oxfam America and the Campaign to Eliminate Conflict Diamonds today welcomed the introduction of new legislation in the United States Senate to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. (Oxfam America, 21 Mar. 2002)

Support for a new Senate version of the Clean Diamond Trade Act [USA] (The Washington Office on Africa, 21 Mar. 2002)

UNI supports ZCTU in struggle to defend trade union rights in Zimbabwe (Union Network International, 21 Mar. 2002)

Conflict Diamonds Bill Introduced in [U.S.] Senate:...The bipartisan legislation would broaden the definition of conflict diamonds and work to combat their importation into the U.S. (Rapaport News, 20 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Mercedes Benz: la empresa no estaba contra los trabajadores, dijo un gerente [Argentina]: El ex gerente de Personal negó que los directivos entregaran el domicilio de los obreros a los represores. (Francisco Martínez, Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos La Plata, 20 marzo 2002)

Mugabe and unions on collision course [Zimbabwe]:...A new security law gives the president the power to declare any strike illegal. All public demonstrations - including protests by striking workers - now require prior police approval. (Joseph Winter, BBC News, 20 Mar. 2002)

U.S. Government Report Criticizes Kimberley Process [conflict diamonds]: The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has published results of a study that indicates that the Kimberley Process suffers from various “shortcomings,” such as the lack of a formal risk assessment that identifies, analyzes and manages risks to meet objectives, and the fact that it subjects many activities to recommended controls, as opposed to mandatory ones. (Rapaport News, 19 Mar. 2002)

WDC to Implement Warranty System to Combat Conflict Diamonds: The World Diamond Council (WDC) announced at its meeting in Milan that it will implement its own system of controls to combat the trade of conflict diamonds. (Rapaport News, 18 Mar. 2002)

INTERVIEW - Lundin says needs security to resume Sudan oil work: Swedish oil explorer Lundin Petroleum , which suspended its Sudan activities in January for security reasons, said on Monday it needed a "sustainable peaceful environment" to resume work there. (Caroline Drees, Reuters, 18 Mar. 2002)

Colombia: Union sues U.S. coal company: On March 14, the Union of Workers of the Mining and Energy Industry of Colombia (Sintramienergetica) filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. federal court in Birmingham, Alabama, against the Alabama-based Drummond mining company and its owner, Garry Drummond...Sintramienergetica charges the mining company with having hired rightwing paramilitaries to abduct, torture and kill three of the union’s leaders in 2001 as part of a plan to stop other Drummond employees from joining the union. (Americas.org, 17 Mar. 2002)

When exploration rights meet human rights: OIL INDUSTRY: The importance of remaining on good terms with the local community is more than just a matter of security -...what is clear is that simply building a fence, calling in the local military or a private security firm and getting on with the business of extracting, transporting and selling oil is no longer good enough [refers to Premier Oil, Shell, BP, Occidental Petroleum, Statoil, ExxonMobil] (Sarah Murray, Financial Times, 15 Mar. 2002)

ICFTU accuses Zimbabwe of trade union rights violations: In a letter to ILO Director General, Juan Somavia, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has submitted a complaint against the government of Zimbabwe for grave violations of trade union rights. The protest follows yesterday’s police actions in banning a legitimate ZCTU meeting. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 15 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Protesta contra nuevos asesinatos, amenazas en Colombia (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 14 marzo 2002)

Greenpeace exposes DLH links to forest crime around the world: Greenpeace activists today scaled the international headquarters of the Danish timber trader DLH..."DLH chooses to turn a blind eye to the social, economic and environmental damage that their suppliers like OTC in Liberia and Hazim in Cameroon are causing, and just continue to buy from them regardless,” said Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Filip Verbelen. “By doing this DLH is fuelling illegal and destructive logging practices, serious social conflicts, human rights abuses and even the funding of war.” (Greenpeace, 14 Mar. 2002)

Ten Brazilian Dam Protesters Hospitalized: Ten anti-dam protestors were hospitalized on Tuesday after clashes with the police...The demonstrators are part of Brazil's Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAB) which is engaged in a national campaign of protests against Brazil's hydropower energy policy...The group is demanding that the government halt subsidies to energy intensive industries, such as aluminum production, and instead provide electricity to rural communities. Aluminum companies, including multinationals Alcoa and Billiton, plan to build a series of huge dams in the Brazilian Amazon. (Environment News Service, 13 Mar. 2002)

To stem trade in ‘conflict diamonds,’ UN Assembly urges action on certification plan - In a continuing bid to break the link between the illegal trade of rough diamonds and armed conflict, the United Nations General Assembly today urged countries to finalize an international certification scheme for the valuable gems and to implement the plan as quickly as possible. (UN News Centre, 13 Mar. 2002)

TANZANIA: World Bank Apparently Clears Government Of Wrongdoing The World Bank seems to have cleared the Tanzanian government of any involvement in the alleged murder of 50 miners at the Bulyanhulu gold mine in 1996, the East African reports. (UN Wire, 12 Mar. 2002)

SUDAN: Church groups urge action on "three key issues" - Delegates...confirmed the Sudanese churches' position that "oil exploration must be suspended until there is a just and sustainable peace and agreement has been reached for the equitable sharing of resources"...Research, particularly in the last two years, had shown that the oil business had aggravated the suffering of civilians, especially in oil-producing areas, it [Christian Aid] said. (IRIN - United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, 11 Mar. 2002)

SUDAN: Southern groups call for civilian "safe havens" - A broad coalition of Sudanese civil society groups and indigenous nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) this week called on the United Nations Security Council to create "safe havens" in southern Sudan in order to protect civilians from what it called a government "scorched earth policy"...[T]he organisations...also called on the oil companies working in western Upper Nile...to cease extraction until peace was achieved in Sudan. (IRIN - United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, 8 Mar. 2002)

Shell to Stand Trial for 1990s Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria: A U.S. Federal Court rejected Shell's plea to dismiss a case charging the company with human rights abuses in Nigeria dating back to 1995. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 8 Mar. 2002)

World Bank to investigate miners' deaths [Tanzania]: The World Bank has promised to investigate allegations that more than 50 small-scale gold miners were buried alive because police wanted to evict them from land to make way for a foreign company, operating with an investment guarantee from the bank. (Christine Otien, BBC News, 6 Mar. 2002)

ANGOLA: Human Rights Watch Briefs Security Council; More -...Human Rights Watch called on the council to push the Angolan government to disclose data about its $3.18 billion in oil revenue, which it says could improve governance and the human rights situation. (UN Wire, 6 Mar. 2002)

Angola at the crossroads:...The most basic needs of the people of Angola could be paid for by Angola's immense natural resources, such as diamonds and oil. However, little of this money actually reaches the people who need it most. Secrecy surrounding the oil industry prevents the Angolan people from monitoring the revenues it brings in and reaping the rewards. This needs to change. (Oxfam, 6 Mar. 2002)

Talisman seeks 'clear-cut, unencumbered' price for Sudan oil property:...Critics charge that oil money is fuelling the war and displacing people from energy-producing lands. Talisman argues that its presence is helping the impoverished African country develop a peace plan and build vital infrastructure...Analysts have long argued that the cash-rich, well-diversified company's shares are discounted because of its Sudan involvement (James Stevenson, Canadian Press, 6 Mar. 2002)

Oil inflames Colombia's Civil War [refers to Occidental Petroleum] (Martin Hodgson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2002)

DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]: Kimberley Process a "watchdog without teeth" - Describing the global diamond certification system thus far agreed upon in the Kimberley Process "a watchdog without teeth...", the Fatal Transactions network nongovernmental organisation is organising a meeting of experts in the European Parliament in Brussels...to "ensure that the EU takes its responsibility in stopping the vicious circle of trade and terror that continues fuelling Africa's most brutal wars". (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 5 Mar. 2002)

Lawsuit Against Shell for Human Rights Violations in Nigeria to Proceed: A U.S. Federal Court has ruled that a civil lawsuit [Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.] charging multinational oil giant Shell with complicity in human rights violations will go forward. The ruling in Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. (EarthRights International, 5 Mar. 2002)

United Nations: Protect the Displaced in Angola - Government Should Provide Data on Oil and Diamond Revenue (Human Rights Watch, 5 Mar. 2002)

Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development: Project Draft Report for Comment - All comments on the Report are welcome until 17 April 2002 (Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project, IIED - International Institute for Environment and Development, 4 Mar. 2002)

Ecuador Amazon Protests End; Army Control Lifted: Ecuador's government and Amazon jungle protestors struck an accord Monday that put an end to 10 days of violence that left one dead and dampened oil output, officials said...Lozada said one issue still under discussion is a demand by local leaders in Sucumbios that pipeline builder OCP Ecuador SA grant more development funds to the area, the heart of Ecuador's oil industry. (Amy Taxin, Reuters, 4 Mar. 2002)

Zim violence rife, says union leader: Zimbabwe's labour movement has called for a halt to "state-sponsored terrorism" in the run-up to the presidential election...Meanwhile, Matombo said a top ZCTU official, Ephraim Tapa, was abducted along with his wife on February 16 and has not been seen since. (South African Press Association-AFP, in News24.com [South Africa], 1 Mar. 2002)

Guatemala: the lethal legacy of impunity...The case of Edgar Ordóñez is illustrative of human rights violations committed in modern-day Guatemala in the context of the so-called "corporate mafia state" in which certain economic actors, including subsidiaries of some multinational corporations, collude with sectors of the police and military and common criminals to pursue their mutual economic interests (Amnesty International, 28 Feb. 2002)

{···español} Ecuador militariza dos provincias:...El factor desencadenante de las protestas es un nuevo oleoducto para crudos pesados que construye el consorcio OCP Ecuador S.A. (BBC Mundo, 28 febrero 2002)

Ecuador: Emergency Action Alert - OCP Protesters in Amazon Attacked by Military!...Protests against Ecuador’s new OCP pipeline turned fatal yesterday as thousands of striking OCP construction workers and local residents in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon were attacked by the country’s armed forces...For over thirty years, state and foreign oil companies like Texaco and Occidental Petroleum have pumped the region for billions of barrels of oil, while indigenous communities, local farmers, and townspeople have watched it descend into environmental, social, and economic ruin. (Amazon Watch, 28 Feb. 2002)

IRAQ: German Companies Violating U.N. Sanctions, Der Spiegel Reports - German officials are investigating six German companies suspected of selling military equipment to Iraq in violation of U.N. sanctions, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported this week. (UN Wire, 28 Feb. 2002)

Savimbi death offers peace and chance for reflection on natural resources that fund conflict in Angola and across Africa: Following nearly four decades of conflict, the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on Friday offers a window for peace in Angola in which to address the role of oil and diamonds in funding the civil war. (Global Witness, 25 Feb. 2002)

Jewelry Industry Forms Tanzanite Task Force:...The Tucson Tanzanite Protocol was introduced in Tucson on February 9 in response to allegations that the tanzanite trade benefits terrorist organizations. (Rapaport News, 25 Feb. 2002)

human rights attorneys... announced the filing of an amended complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Talisman Energy Inc., adding the Islamic Government of Sudan as a co-defendant. The complaint alleges that Talisman and the government are violating the human rights of Christian and other non-Muslim minorities in Southern Sudan by conducting a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing to clear the land for oil exploitation. (Carey R. D'Avino and Stephen A. Whinston of Berger & Montague, PC, 25 Feb. 2002)

Talisman urged to pressure Sudan on human rights: Businesses indirectly linked to bloodshed, Amnesty says - Amnesty International [Amnesty International Canada] said yesterday it is the corporate duty of Calgary's Talisman Energy Corp. to press the Sudanese government on human rights violations following a particularly violent attack this week by an army helicopter that killed 17 unarmed, starving civilians. (Mike Blanchfield, Ottawa Citizen, 23 Feb. 2002)

September 11 Victims’ Families Sue Tanzanite Dealers [USA]: The families of three September 11 victims have filed a wrongful death suit against dealers of tanzanite, alleging ties between the trade of the gemstone and Osama bin Laden, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Rapaport News, 15 Feb. 2002)

Kenyan MPs want government to reconsider Khartoum oil imports: Five MPs have called on the Government to reconsider its position on the importation of oil from the Sudan...They stated that involvement in the oil business with Sudan would compromise the drive to achieve peace in the country..."The oil revenue will definitely be channelled into building the government's war machine." (Eliud Chisika, East African Standard [Nairobi], 15 Feb. 2002)

Hoffa Tells Coke: Protect Your Workers - Teamsters President Urges Coke CEO to Resolve Global Human Rights Issues - James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President, on Tuesday told Douglas N. Daft, Coca-Cola Company Chief Executive Officer, to protect workers who produce, bottle and distribute Coca-Cola products – including those in Guatemala where eight union leaders were assassinated in the late 1970s. Hoffa’s letter to Daft was prompted by problems between union workers in Guatemala and the bottling company PANAMCO, which also bottles Coke products in Colombia, where union workers have been tortured, kidnapped and murdered. (CokeWatch.org - Campaign for Justice at Coca Cola, 14 Feb. 2002)

Oil, Drugs, and Diamonds: How Do Natural Resources Vary in their Impact on Civil War? (Professor Michael Ross, UCLA, produced for International Peace Academy project on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars, 13 Feb. 2002)

Diamond Industry, Governments Get Failing Marks on Effort to Develop International Diamond Certification System: As Valentine's Day approaches, Amnesty International and eight non governmental organizations (NGOs) have given failing marks to industry and governmental efforts to develop proposals for an international diamond certification system. (Amnesty International USA, 13 Feb. 2002)

RIGHTS: U.S. Senators Push Law Against 'Conflict Diamonds' - Senators urged fellow lawmakers here Thursday to stop the flow of so-called ''conflict diamonds,'' citing reported links between alleged al-Qaeda terrorists and global trade in illicit gems. [refers to Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo]. (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 13 Feb. 2002)

Companies 'face rising risks over human rights': Multinational companies face a growing risk of being associated with human rights violations, according to research published in London yesterday by Amnesty International and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. The research examines the operations of 129 leading companies in 34 countries where human rights abuses including torture, forced child labour and denial of freedom of expression occur. (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 13 Feb. 2002)

Diamonds: Valentine's Day 2002: for many people, diamonds do not symbolize love, but conflict, misery and poverty - In Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone, proceeds from the sale of diamonds have funded civil wars resulting in horrendous human rights abuses (Amnesty International, 13 Feb. 2002)

Forests of Fear: Stopping human rights abuses is key to solving forest crisis - A new report clearly links the disappearance of the world's forests with the horrifying catalogue of human rights abuses taking place as a result of conflicts between forest peoples and the powerful government and corporate interests within forests. (Boreal Footprint Project, 12 Feb. 2002)

TANZANIA: Government to monitor tanzanite trade - The Tanzanian government said on Saturday that it would implement new control measures to oversee the trade in the semiprecious gemstone, tanzanite, following reports that proceeds from its sale were being used to fund terrorism. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 11 Feb. 2002)

Sudan: High stakes - Fueled by faith and oil, war 'has become a way of life' - Relief workers say the government has adopted a scorched-earth policy to force civilians away from profitable oil fields in the south --- discovered in 1978 and developed in part with bin Laden's money --- in order to sell extraction rights to the West. (Moni Basu, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7 Feb. 2002)

Oil brings death, war to southern Sudan: A report issued this week says hundreds of Sudanese civilians were being killed, raped and displaced in a "war for oil" that has gripped the vast African nation for the past three years. The report by Christian Aid, an international NGO, says human rights violations were being committed in the oil-rich areas of Sudan where both the government and oil companies were oblivious to the outcry of the outside world...The report goes further to name oil companies such as Canada's Talisman Energy, Sweden's Lundin Oil, Malaysia's Petronas and China's state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation as some business partners of the Sudanese government who are causing untold suffering in the southern part of the country. (Tervil Okoko, PANA, 7 Feb. 2002)

Annan urges business leaders to lead fight against Third World poverty:..."Think of ways that your company can help mobilise global science and technology to tackle the interlocking crises of hunger, disease, environmental degradation and conflict that are holding back the developing world," he told the World Economic Forum. (AFP, in Business Recorder [Pakistan], 5 Feb. 2002)

Sudan Oil May Be Funding War -- Yet Offers Best Chance For Stable Future: The oil boom is why critics of Sudan's government say that foreign oil companies - especially companies from Western democracies - have no business helping to prop up Sudan's war machine. (St. Louis Post - Dispatch, 3 Feb. 2002)

Globalization & Militarization - A national security exception protects countries’ subsidies for military production from international trade rules...By favoring arms sales over other forms of trade, the security exception fuels armed conflict. [includes discussion of U.S. policy on arms trade] (John Feffer, Foreign Policy in Focus, Feb. 2002)

Exxon Mobil under fire [Aceh]: Recent attacks against oil and gas company Exxon Mobil in the war-scarred territory of Aceh have brought security concerns to the fore again, as Megawati's government struggles to convince investors they should bring their money back to Indonesia. The US company is also under attack internationally for its association with human rights violations in Aceh, for its poor environmental record and for its obstruction of positive action on global warming. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

BP and the Tangguh test [West Papua]: Since DTE last reported on this project in August 2001 (DTE 50), the international profile of BP's Tangguh gas development in West Papua has established it as a "test case" for putting good corporate intentions into practice. However, questions remain over how sincere BP is in carrying out its commitments. And how far external factors - like the Indonesian military - will limit the company's capacity to do so. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

Brimob [mobile brigade] shooting at Aurora mine [Indonesia]: A man was seriously wounded as violence against the local community continues at Aurora's gold mine in Central Kalimantan...Aurora has consistently evaded responsibility for the violence at the mine and claims that the company has no choice but to accept Brimob presence at the site. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

APP and debt-financed forest destruction [Indonesia]: The highly-indebted pulp and paper group, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), commissioned an environmental audit in September to allay fears over rainforest destruction in Sumatra. However, the prospect of more clear-felling and conflict over resources with local communities looms, as the financial interests of the Singapore-based group's international creditors are being put before environmental or social considerations. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

Stop human rights violations against peasant farmers! [Indonesia]: The pattern of human rights violations arising from land conflicts during the Suharto era still persists today, more than three years since the dictator was forced to resign...In West Papua investors are being encouraged to take advantage of the territory's land, timber and mineral wealth. In Kalimantan and Sumatra communities are losing lands to oil palm developments. Forest peoples are losing out in agreements with entrepreneurs who buy up community rights over forests at minimal prices so that they can get at the timber. The medium-scale exploitation of coal and gold continuing in some parts of Sulawesi and Kalimantan is putting more pressure on peasant and indigenous communities as well as poisoning the lands and water courses. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

Banten farmers arrested and beaten [Indonesia]: Forty seven farmers were rounded up by armed police, Brimob, forestry company staff and hired thugs in a November pre-dawn raid on Cibaliung village, Banten province, Java. Some were handcuffed and beaten during the forcible eviction from land now claimed by privatised forestry company, PT Perhutani. The farmers were denied access to lawyers. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002)

Book Review: Indonesia: Natural Resources and Law Enforcement, by International Crisis Group...It recognises the involvement of corrupt elements in the civil service, security forces and legislature that benefit from the upsurge of illegal logging, mining and fishing that has occurred since Suharto was ousted. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002)

Oil firm's exit [Sudan]: The first crack? An oil firm [Sweden's Lundin Petroleum] has quit Sudan for the second time in as many years. Citing insecurity, the firm's officials stressed that only a comprehensive ceasefire will make it resume operations...It is also not known who should get the credit for Lundin's second exit in two years: the human rights, church, and relief workers lobby that has been calling for a stoppage of oil exploration until peace reigns in Sudan, or southern rebels who have declared oil installations legitimate military targets (Matthias Muindi, AFRICANEWS, Feb. 2002)

Sudan: Seize This Serious Chance to End a Long Civil War - The war in Sudan is Africa's longest, most harrowing and most complex – with religion, oil, ethnicity and ideology all driving the conflict. (Gareth Evans and John Prendergast, International Crisis Group, in International Herald Tribune, 29 Jan. 2002)

Amnesty International USA Award Remarks by BSR's Bob Dunn [CEO, Business for Social Responsibility]:..."At their worst, companies support repressive governments, rely on the military and police to secure private gain, and engage directly in the abuse of their own workers. At their best, companies can bring pressure to bear on regimes that are human rights violators, collaborate with others to promote economic and social justice, and they demonstrate respect for the rights of others wherever they do business around the world.." (Bob Dunn, CEO, Business for Social Responsibility, 28 Jan. 2002)

The Coca-Cola Killings: Is Plan Colombia funding a bloodbath of union activists? (David Bacon, American Prospect, 28 Jan. 2002)

Companies accused of fuelling fight for Congo's mineral wealth: Spurred by growing international concern, campaigners, industry and the United Nations are trying to stop the African trade in a rare mineral crucial to mobile phones and high-tech gadgets - which is blamed for fueling war in Central Africa. (Doug Alexander, Gemini News Service, 25 Jan.-1 Feb. 2002)

Shootings, deaths at Aussie mine [Indonesia]: Local people have again been shot by security forces at an Australian gold mine in Indonesia [Aurora Gold’s Indo Muro Kencana mine site in Kalimantan] (Mineral Policy Institute, 24 Jan. 2002)

Tanzanian Government Defends Tanzanite Trade:...The minister was responding to a letter he received from Eliezri, in which he expressed ICA members’ concern over recent reports in the press about allegations that the proceeds from tanzanite are financing terrorist organizations. (Rapaport News, Diamonds.Net, 24 Jan. 2002)

Indonesian Man Shot at Australian Gold Mine: An Indonesian man has been shot by security police at an Australian gold mine in Indonesian Borneo [Aurora Gold’s Indo Muro Kencana mine] (Environment News Service, 23 Jan. 2002)

Freeze on Oil Operations Fuels Sudan Peace Hopes: An announcement Tuesday that a major Swedish oil company [Lundin Oil] has suspended operations in Sudan has boosted hopes that a recently-launched peace process to end 18 years of civil war may gain momentum...The company--which has been strongly criticized by human rights and church groups for allegedly providing logistical assistance to the Islamic regime in Khartoum during the war against mainly Christian and animist rebels in the south--said it was also "hopeful" that a regional ceasefire agreement reached in Switzerland last weekend will be extended to all parts of Sudan to "allow an early resumption" of Lundin's activities. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 23 Jan. 2002)

Lundin [oil company] says suspends oil drilling at Sudan well:...Lundin...said the suspension was a precautionary measure meant to ensure security of its personnel. (Reuters, 22 Jan. 2002)

Working with Ericsson, UN sets up mobile telephone service in Afghanistan:...Ericsson and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) worked to set up a complete mobile telecommunications network dedicated to supporting UN humanitarian operations in the war-ravaged country (UN News Centre, 16 Jan. 2002)

Doubts Rise About Guards-for-Hire: Terrorism Fuels Growth in an Industry Virtually Free of Regulation - The menace of terrorism is driving a boom in the guards-for-hire industry while increasingly blurring the line between public policing and private security...But as the sector grows, the question...who is to guard the guards themselves? - has no ready answer. (Barry James, International Herald Tribune, 10 Jan. 2002)

Rally Protests Illegal Detention and Intimidation of Pearl Continental Hotel Workers [Pakistan]:...Police from Pakistan's Central Investigation Agency (CIA) detained the hotel workers following an electrical fire at the hotel on 6 January. They were held for more than 48 hours without charge, which is illegal...This new instance of harassment involving police is merely the latest in a series of incidents in which Pearl Continental management have attempted to suppress union activities. (Asia & Pacific Regional Secretariat of IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 10 Jan. 2002)

MPs [members of Kenya's parliament] Slam Import of Sudan Oil:...Those opposed to the oil deal argue that the Khartoum government will use the oil, which is mined in the southern part of the country, to buy weapons which would be used against the southerners. (Njue Lloyd, East African Standard [Kenya], 9 Jan. 2002)

Congo Diamond Trade Tied to Terrorism [Democratic Republic of Congo] (Rapaport News, referring to 30 Dec. 2001 Washington Post article, on Diamonds.Net website, 3 Jan. 2002)

INDONESIA: Report Warns Exploitation Of Resources Boosts Risk Of Conflict - Exploitation of Indonesia's vast natural resources is escalating, leading to a greater risk of communal conflict, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group. [refers to upsurge in illegal logging, mining & fishing]. (UN Wire, 2 Jan. 2002)

Shining a Light on Small Arms Exports: The Record of State Transparency (Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers, Jan. 2002)

Companies in Conflict Situations: Extractive Companies in Indonesia [refers to ExxonMobil, Caltex, Freeport-McMoRan] (Oxford Analytica, prepared for the International Business Leaders Forum and TimeFORTUNE as part of the monthly changing corporate roles and responsibilities series, Jan. 2002)

The pressure from above: Fiona Cuthbert, analyst at Morley Fund Management, talks to Ethical Corporation about the current Burma campaign and what a collective force of £400 billion in assets can do to encourage Corporate Social Responsibility programmes in multinational companies (Ethical Corporation magazine, Jan. 2002)