“Oil giant Unocal has settled out of court in two lawsuits filed in the United States by villagers in Myanmar who allege the company benefited from human rights abuses they suffered during the construction of the Yadana gas pipeline.”
“The 15 unnamed villagers sued Unocal in 1996, claiming the company should be held liable for murder, rape, torture, extortion, forced labor, and the forced relocation of whole villages allegedly perpetrated by the Myanmar military during construction of the $1.2 billion Yadana pipeline.”
“The pipeline, which carries gas from the Yadana gas field in the Andaman Sea to Thailand through Myanmar, or Burma, was completed in 1998.”
“Unocal is a junior partner in the Yadana project operated by Total, the French energy group, with Thailand’s PTT and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise [MOGE]. Unocal has a 28 percent stake in both the gas production company and the pipeline. Thailand uses 90 percent of the gas produced to fire power plants in Bangkok. The gas field is expected to yield for 30 years.”
“In a joint announcement Monday, Unocal and Earth Rights International, representing the plaintiffs, said the settlement, “will compensate plaintiffs and provide funds enabling plaintiffs and their representatives to develop programs to improve living conditions, health care and education and protect the rights of people from the pipeline region.””
“The abuses are alleged to have arisen when the companies contracted with the Myanmar military regime to provide security for the Yadana project. Earth Rights International said it has documented “a pattern of systematic human rights abuses and environmental degradation” on the part of the military on the Yadana project.”
“Tiger poached along the Yadana pipeline route.”
“Earth Rights International warns that another Yadana is in the making.”
Read more: Unocal Settles Out of Court With Myanmar Villagers (archived)
2021-week26
