Human rights trial over Unocal project in Myanmar opens in LA

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Dec. 10, 2003

Human rights trial over Unocal project in Myanmar opens in LA
PAUL CHAVEZ
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Oil giant Unocal Corp. should not be allowed to shift blame onto subsidiaries for alleged human rights abuses the Myanmar military committed during a 1990s pipeline project, lawyers said as the long-contested case went to trial.

Unocal, and not its subsidiaries, should be "assigned moral responsibility and blame" to deter such future conduct and to punish the company, said Terry Collingsworth, executive director of the International Labor Rights Fund.

The trial that started Tuesday consolidates two separate cases brought on behalf of 14 unidentified villagers who filed lawsuits in federal and state court in California alleging El Segundo-based Unocal shares responsibility for alleged slavery, murder and rape carried out by the military junta in Myanmar, which was formerly known as Burma. Louisa Benson, an activist from Pasadena who said she informed Unocal officials of the alleged abuses, is included as the 15th plaintiff in the case.

The plaintiffs say Unocal shares responsibility for slavery, murder and rape committed by members of Myanmar's military during the 1990s construction of the $1.2 billion Yadana natural gas pipeline. The pipeline was built by a consortium that included subsidiaries of Unocal. (snip)

(snip) "It's like hiring the mafia as a business partner and then when the mafia does something reprehensible your throw your arms up and say, 'We had no idea what's going on,'" said Quante, who observed the opening arguments. "It's a joke. And from a business sense it shows you're not being responsible by not knowing the climate of the country you're operating in." (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/7453364.htm

[Maine-i-acs]

1. Isn't Cheney connected there?

Is Unocal one of the corporations he made his millions from?

Or is it another pipeline-human rights abuse connection I'm thinking of?

[sam sarrha]

2. The Rats build in Exit Stratigies before they even start their evil work

:tinfoilhat:

[RPG-7]

3. Hmmm..

"It's like hiring the mafia as a business partner and then when the mafia does something reprehensible your throw your arms up and say, 'We had no idea what's going on,'"

Since their people were doing exactly what they wanted it's more like sending the Boston Strangler into an orphanage and when he kills them all saying that you sent him in there to wash their ears.

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. Unocal is Karzai's co, google ashcroft myanmar

Basically, the US has been efforting to do away with the Alien Torts Claims laws, which have been around since 1817 or something.

These are laws that give foreign nationals redress in US courts when US companies go into other countries and murder, rape, pillage etc, or cause same to be done.

The position of the US government is that the laws should be repealed as they are not in the interest of either US business or foreign policy.