PSPD in English Int. Solidarity 2006-04-18   1060

Joint statement of Korea for the 2nd international action day on Korea’s involvement in Shwe gas development project

– Daewoo International, KOGAS and the Korean government must establish measures to protect labor, human and environmental rights of Burmese people and pay attention to the voices of the international community.

On April 14, 2006, Human rights activists from Thailand, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Japan, the USA, the Netherlands, France, England, Australia, Sweden and Hongkong will protest against the Shwe gas development project in front of Korean embassies and Dae international offices.

Even if Daewoo International, KOGAS and the Korean governemnt have been aware of concerns and claims of the international community on the Korea’s involvement in Burma gas development project, they not only have not come up with any measures but also have expanded their investment in Burma. This shows Korea’s disregard for concerns and claims of the international community including Korean civil society and human rights activists.

Yadana – Yetagun gas development project that Total, France and Unocal, USA invested in the 90s received severe criticism from the international community due to violations of human rights such as forced labor, relocation and rape and as a result Total and Unocal had to settle with large sum of compensation. In light of the precedents experiences from Yadana project and infrastructure projects in other areas of Burma, it is expected that Shwe gas development project will result in the the expansion of militarization and violations of human rights in the area involved by the Burese military regime which has been in power for the last 44 years. The increase in expoitation of food supply for the military, random collection of taxes, confiscation of land for new military facilities and pipelines, forced relocation and labor of people in the vicinity of pipeline route, the increase in sexual abuse, limited free movement of people, dismatling of families, increase in refugees will occur and these will lead to the continuation of a vicious cycle of ignorance and poverty. Activists for Burma are claiming that the number of military camps near Shwe gas project area are already increasing and violations of human rights such as land confiscation and forced labor in west Arakan state where pipeline will be laid are already happening.

Furthermore, the area where Shwe gas developmet project has been proposed is an under developed region left unattended by the Burmese central government and the most households in the area are short of electiricity. The viilagers’ are either rice farmers or fishermen and a large virgin forest has been preserved along the northern border of Bangladesh. Even if a large amount of gas deposit has been found in the area, the villagers are allowed to neither use the gas nor have the decision power on theuse of the resource. Military facilities expected to be accompanied in the gas pipeline route will result in either expelling comunities in the area or destroying remaining forest.

ICFTU and The Burma Campaign UK have included Daewoo International on their ‘dirty list’, a list of corporations investing in Burma. Activists and international civil organizations working for democratization and human rights are requesting that Shwe gas project be halted until Burma becomes democratized and its people can participate in the decision making process for the use of their own resources without fear of oppression from the Burmese military regime.

The fall of moral images of Korean corporations and the Korean government can not be converted to economic values. The respect for human rights and environment are international norm in corporate investment and in case that direct or indirect violations of human rights are expected, the UN and the international society are discussing establishign measures and reevaluation of investment itself.

What are social responsibilities being discussed by the Korean governemnt and corporations? Aren’t investment and extraction of resources ignoring the right to live and human rights of local people imperialism we criticised in the past? Human life and rights can not be exchanged with investment. Who will benefit from the development? Do we have to pursue development that will result in expansion of militarization, forced labor and refugees? We must not accept money made from the blood and sweat of our neighbors.

We strongly urge that Daewoo International, KOGAS and the Korean government should immediately look into the current situation of labor, human and environmental rights of local people in relation to Shwe gas project and present measures against expected human rights violations and environmental disruption. Also, We hope that as a responsible member of the international society, Daewoo International, KOGAS and the Korean government accept and respond to the concerns of the international society.

April 18, 2006

Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Links Korea
BHRC(The Buddhist Human Rights Commission)
CAN(Citizens’ Action Network)
CCSR(The Center for Corporate Social Responsibility)
Dasan Human Rights Center
DLP(Democratic Labor Party)
MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society
FKTU(Federations of Korean Trade Unions)
Human Rights Center of the Korean Church
Human Rights Committee of the NCCK
KFEM(Korean Federation for Environmental Movement)
KHIS(Korean House for International Solidarity)
Labor Human Rights Center
Nawauri
PSPD(People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy)
Reconciliation & Unification Mission Center Osan Laborer’s & Migrant’s Shelter
Sarangbang Group for Human Rights
Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea
Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights
Supporters of Imprisoned Workers
The Association for Migrant Workers’ Human Rights
The Council of Labornet in South Korea
The Refuge Pnan
Ulsan Solidarity for Human Rights
(24 Korean NGOs)

solidarity participants from overseas NGOs:
Asian Monitor Resource Center, Hong Kong
Asian Transnational Corporation Monitoring Network (Asia)

International Solidarity Committee

정부지원금 0%, 회원의 회비로 운영됩니다

참여연대 후원/회원가입


참여연대 NOW

실시간 활동 SNS

텔레그램 채널에 가장 빠르게 게시되고,

더 많은 채널로 소통합니다. 지금 팔로우하세요!