For now, California energy giant Unocal Corp. is not liable for the rape, murder, torture and forced labor that occurred during construction of the $1.2 billion, 40-mile Yadana natural gas pipeline in Burma, now Myanmar. On January 23, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney concluded that Unocal could not be held accountable for the actions of its subsidiaries—but… return to article
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Reader Comments (10)Page 1 of 1 pagesThis was in my mailbox this am. The battle is on, not just in some third world playground for the corrupt. But here, in our cities and farms as the coporate moguls, assisted by the Bush regime, push to force American labor down to poverty wages. Dennis Kucinich will not be supported by those liberals who are invested in the very corporatins that commit the abuses, but he is the one candidate that would take the battle TO THE CORPORATIONS as he did with the energy companies in Cleveland, Oh. when he was mayor.
Unite against the mighty menace of George Bush and his corporate bullies!!!
<http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/corp-focus/2004/000174.html>
Posted by Bill Schultz on Feb 17, 2004 at 5:02 PM Good job! The more that Americans are exposed to news like this, the better off we will all be. Many abuses are being committed in our name. We at least deserve to know about it. . .
As an aside: I think it’s a complete fallacy that Americans know but simply don’t care. Give a pretty young villager who was raped the same amount of coverage as the Jessica Lynch story, and the sh*t would hit the fan.
Most Americans are under such financial hardship that they are virtually economic slaves anyways. If you are one of the 30% of homeless Americans in Silicon Valley who have full-time jobs and yet are homelesss, consider yourself an indentured slave [Since homelessness is virtually a crime in many communities due loitering statutes welcome back to debtor’s prison].
Not that living in the States is like living in Burma by any stretch! However, if you’ve got both spouses working 2 jobs and barely making enough for your kids to eat and keep a roof over your head, how much time and energy do you have to do something about a kid in Burma?
I bring this up simply to reinforce the notion of how terribly important it is to keep stories like this alive, because Lord knows the American media in 2004 could give prostitutes a bad name.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
Posted by Ed Mellon on Feb 17, 2004 at 7:09 PM Would that this were an isolated tale; its one facet of a multi-tiered action by fundamentalists to take the world back from the “liberal democracy” which spoiled it in _GOD’s_ eyes and then began sympathizing with the little brown people of the planet whom GOD placed here to do our dirty work, cheaply. If there is anything resembling a god, it is ashamed of the creation its adherents have waiting for all of us. The pure fascism in Miami was a first obvious taste of what is to come.
Posted by daigu on Feb 17, 2004 at 10:13 PM mmmmmmmmm i agree with the 1st comment of bill schultz but these tactics used by ‘corporate bullies’ are also allowed with democrats in office. DON’T BLAME IT ALL ON BUSH, HE’S JUST ANOTHER PLAYER IN THE MURDER ‘GAME’ PLAYED BY MULTINATIONALS.
the USA has always allowed and/or used multi-corps. te enhance it’s power and wealth. CHANGE THAT, not just your government.
Posted by zen on Feb 18, 2004 at 12:29 AM Would be interested to hear the full story of the project, Unicol’s investment and return, the companies it created and the reason and results of the project
Posted by jan janson on Feb 18, 2004 at 10:47 AM Corporations will have alot to answer for, once we rid ourselves of the Bush Gang.
Posted by Linda on Feb 18, 2004 at 1:22 PM What’s missing from this story is an update on the practices of Unocal in Burma/Myanmar today. There have been protests, boycotts, shareholder resolutions and State laws barring trade with the country. What has been the result? For one, Unocal has at least published a few web pages on its activities in Burma/Myanmar, explaining its operations and their effects, and several related pages on human rights. The Collaborative for Development Action (cdainc.com) conducted an independent evaluation of Unocal/Total’s operations in Burma/Myanmar and found that there is less forced labor, higher literacy and better health care in the pipeline zone than in the rest of the country. If this is true, then we have won a major victory and the campaigners should rejoice and the companies should be recognized for their changed behavior. Their system of representing villagers’ complaints to the army might even serve as a model for similar operations elsewhere. I’m glad we’re paying attention to finding justice over past misdeeds, but let’s not let the passion of vengeance cloud our vision of the changes we have effected and the improvements companies have made.
Posted by Brien Desilets on Feb 20, 2004 at 10:24 AM First of all, thank you for publishing and thereby addressing the significance of this article and articles like it. It’s such a rare thing for me and young people in south orange county to leave a news article or report feeling anything, even rarer to leave one feeling empowered and a part of something larger than southern California. Independent papers and alternative voices are so rare, and usually silenced, in this community.
Please, keep me informed by continuing your publication of articles addressing international business and consumerism!!!
Posted by rOBIN jUDD on Feb 24, 2004 at 6:18 PM Hi, I am very keen to get hold of a copy of Judge Chaney’s latest ruling on the Unocal case, but have so far had no luck. Can anyone point me in the right direction?? thanks, Jane Walker
Posted by Jane Walker on Mar 7, 2004 at 3:46 AM Hi, I am very keen to get hold of a copy of Judge Chaney’s latest ruling on the Unocal case, but have so far had no luck. Can anyone point me in the right direction?? thanks, Jane Walker
Posted by Jane Walker on Mar 7, 2004 at 3:46 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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