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The Newsletter of
the
Socio-Ecological Union
A Center for Coordination
and Information
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Moscow, Russia -- special Issue,
January 19, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE:
OIL TNCS TRY TO SUPPRESS INDIGENOUS PROTEST AT SAKHALIN
OIL TNCS TRY TO SUPPRESS INDIGENOUS PROTEST AT SAKHALIN
Sakhalin Association of Indigenous Peoples Protest Pipeline
Development in Russian Far East.
The Sakhalin Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North have
chosen January 20, 2005 as a day to protest the two oil and gas
pipelines that are being developed by Exxon, Shell, British Petroleum,
Sakhalin Energy and their subsidiaries. The indigenous peoples of
Sakhalin, who practice a traditional self-subsistence economy based on
fishing, hunting, reindeer herding and wild plant gathering,
disproportionately suffer the negative ecological impacts of the
pipeline project.
Structural engineering has destroyed reindeer pastures and forests and
works on the shelf have led to an abrupt decline in fish stocks,
making traditional handicrafts the only source of livelihood. The
absence of complete and reliable project information and the
companies' unwillingness to seriously dialogue with indigenous
peoples' organizations have forced them to commence a process of civil
disobedience.
Agreement, signed by oil companies' representatives and two
representatives of Sakhalin indigenous peoples' groups, has not
changed the plans for action "Green wave". It will start on January 20
in Nogliki region of Sakhalin. Several indigenous peoples' groups,
like native nivkh's communities, Sakhalin Evenks, Sakhalin Nanaytsy
community, Association of Indigenous People of Nogliki Region,
Association of Indigenous People of Sakhalin Region, Association of
Indigenous People of Russia.
Expert group, including Chairman of Russian Independent Environmental
Assessment Vladimir Anikeev, State Duma expert on Indigenous people
issues Olga Murashko and lawyer of NGO Legal Center Rodnik Ekaterina
Khmeleva, analyzed the Agreement and came to a conclusion that it was
"merely a declaration of intentions". It lacks specific agreement
features like subject of agreement, obligations of oil companies (like
environmental and ethnological assessment, minimization of harm), no
mechanisms and directions for cooperation, no responsible agreement
parties.
This agreement may not be considered as a base for further relation
between indigenous people of Sakhalin and oil companies. Indigenous
people representative insist on signing of Memorandum that was
elaborated by the communities and put on the table on negotiations
between indigenous groups and oil companies. Oil industry failed to
sign it yet.
On the contrary, representatives of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company
Ltd and Exxon Oil and Gas Ltd are putting pressure upon participants
of Green Wave protest action. For past several days their
representatives visited indigenous people settlements and tried to
persuade them not to participate in the action. They also threatened
to fire those employees who would participate in the action - about 30
indigenous people representative are involved in different oil
companies' projects. These people receive threats to be fired even if
their relative would participate in the protest. For today there was a
meeting with indigenous groups scheduled by Exxon Oil and Gas Ltd -
also aimed to persuade people to withdraw form the action.
Green Wave organizers became aware that oil companies' security squads
arrived in Nogliki settlement on January 19, also to put pressure on
protesters. Action organizers called on oil companies to keep within
legal and ethical norms, however no one knows how things will end up
today and tomorrow.
Additional information:
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: tel. +7 (4242) 42-41-53,
+7 (4242) 27-00-76 fax. +7 (4242) 74-75-18, Alexander Markov, Dmitry
Lisytsyn e-mail: sakhalinwatch@yandex.ru (Sakhalin Environmental
Watch) green-sakhalin@mail.ru Nogliki +7 (4242) 44-17-52, Alexey
Limanzo.
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SEU Times issued by: Olga Zakharova seupress@seu.ru
ISEU Information Service
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