Also this. What an outrage.
Ronnie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 19:51:10 -0600
From: Glen Barry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: BIOD: Embargo Nigeria's Oil & Boycott Shell
***********************************************
WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Rember Saro-Wiwa: Embargo Nigeria's Oil and Boycott Shell
***********************************************
Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
November 18, 1995
OVERVIEW & SOURCE
Following are appeals for action in support of the memory of Saro-
Wiwa and his work with his Ogoni people in Nigeria. Ken Saro-Wiwa
and other activits were executed recently for battling the oil and
gas industry; by highlighting Shell Oil's failure to bring
meaningful benefits, and the industry's resultant environmental
destruction. Rainforest Action Network and the Friends of the
Earth appeal for several actions in protest to the Nigerian
government and Shell Oil.
g.b.
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
/* Written 3:43 PM Nov 17, 1995 by foedc in igc:env.oil */
/* ---------- "ALERT: Action on Nigeria/Shell" ---------- */
REMEMBER SARO-WIWA: EMBARGO NIGERIA'S OIL AND BOYCOTT SHELL!
Appalled by the denigrating poverty of my people, who live on a
richly endowed land, distressed by their political
marginalization and economic strangulation, angered by the
devastation of their land, their ultimate heritage, anxious to
preserve their right to life, and to a decent living, and
determined to usher to this country as a whole a fair and just
democratic system which protects everyone and every ethnic group
and gives us all a valid claim to human civilization, I have
devoted my intellectual and material resources, my very life, to
a cause in which I have total belief and from which I cannot be
blackmailed or intimidated.
-Ken Saro-Wiwa, closing statement to Nigerian military court
BACKGROUND: Nigeria, Oil and the Ogoni's
Ken Saro-Wiwa-human rights activist, poet, playwright, 1995
Goldman Environmental Prize winner, Nobel Peace Prize nominee,
and Ogoni tribesman-and eight fellow activists, were executed in
Nigeria on November 10 for battling the oil and gas industry in
their Ogoni homeland. Ogoniland is in the Niger River delta area
of Nigeria. Shell Oil discovered petroleum there in 1958, and
since then has extracted $30 billion worth of oil and natural
gas. The Ogoni people derive little benefit from the oil
operations in their country, suffering still from basic services,
lack of health care and high poverty rates. Meanwhile, the
traditional Ogoni fishing and farming life has been devastated by
oil pollution, and--in the words of Wall Street Journal--the land
has become "a ravaged environment".
The Niger delta is home to coastal rainforest and mangrove
habitats. The United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development classified the Nigerian coastal wetlands as a fragile
ecosystem, and identified the Niger's mouth as the most
endangered river delta in the world. This is the direct result
of nearly four decades of oil exploitation.
Ken Saro-Wiwa rose to the occasion of this human and
environmental tragedy, and founded the Movement for the Survival
of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) in 1990. In a non-violent campaign,
MOSOP united hundreds of thousands of Ogonis, who demanded
economic compensation for their sacrificed livelihoods, and
called for a clean-up of the oil spills, pipeline breaks and
toxic wastes that were the residue of industrial oil development.
The reaction of the Nigerian military led government was swift
and deadly. Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Texaco and other oil
companies generate 80% of Nigeria's annual revenue, and the
military dictatorship sent troops into Ogoniland in a desperate
and deadly maneuver to protect these interests. Since 1993, 20
Ogoni towns have been destroyed, 1,800 people have been killed,
and 50,000 left homeless.
According to human rights groups, Shell has been linked to some
of these human rights violations. An internal Nigerian military
memo-written in May, 1994-stated: "Shell operations [are] still
impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken for
smooth economic activities to commence". The document suggested
that 400 soldiers should begin "wasting operations" and "wasting"
Ogoni leaders who are "especially vocal individuals". Twelve
days later, Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested under fabricated charges.
EXECUTION OF SARO-WIWA: Global Outrage at Nigeria and Shell
On November 10, those charges culminated in the execution of Ken
Saro-Wiwa and the eight other Ogoni activists.
Since then, governments have expressed their outrage toward the
Nigerian Government's action to silence its critics. Immediate
reaction included suspending Nigeria's membership in the
Commonwealth, recalling country's ambassadors and international
discussions about an arms embargo and freezing Nigerian military
ruler's assets held oversees.
But most agree that the quickest way to cripple the Nigerian
military-led government is to shut off their largest source of
revenue and support: oil. Nelson Mandela has joined the
condemnation of the Nigerian Government and has called for a
global embargo of Nigerian oil. The European Parliament has
urged the European Union to impose an oil embargo and the United
States is reportedly discussing the issue.
Meanwhile, Shell continues its operations, "business as usual".
A few days after the executions, Shell announced its plans to go
ahead with a liquified natural gas plant and pipeline project in
the Niger Delta and Ogoniland, despite international and local
protest to the project and the withdrawal of the World Bank's
private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation.
ACTIONS TO TAKE: Use your voice and consumer dollar.
A strong global outcry against Ken's murder and the way the
people and land have been exploited by the oil companies, like
Shell will force Nigeria's government and its oil executive
patrons heed the calls of the people.
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
1. Write President Clinton and Congress and demand that the
United States take a strong stand against Nigeria. The United
States should be a leader, not a follower, in efforts to defend
basic human rights and justice.
In the Senate, a bill entitled the "Nigeria Democracy Act"
was recently introduced and it calls on the President to work at
the multilateral level towards an oil and arms sale embargo, as
well as the freezing of assets.
President Clinton Senator ______/Rep. _____
The White House U.S. Senate/House of Representative
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC/Washington, DC
Washington, DC 20510 / 20515
2. If you own a Shell credit card, cut it up and send it back to
Shell Oil, explaining your action. You can address letters to:
Mr. Phillip J. Carroll, CEO
Shell Oil Corporation
Houston, Texas 77252
fax: 713-241-4044
Shell Oil is a U.S. subsidiary of Royal-Dutch Shell, the parent
company operating in Nigeria.
3. Organize and spread the word. Try to organize a
demonstration at local Shell stations, talk to your local media
and write letters to the editor urging more coverage.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Greenpeace, Steve Kretzmann, 202-319-2515
Friends of the Earth, Andrea Durbin, 202-783-7400, ext 209
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, Julie Berriault,
202-637-0475
Rainforest Action Network, Kelly Quirke, 415-398-4404
Information prepared by Rainforest Action Network and Friends of
the Earth.
###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###
You are encouraged to utilize this information for personal
campaign use; including writing letters, organizing campaigns and
forwarding. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely
pieces; though ultimate responsibility for verifying all
information rests with the reader. Check out our Gaia Forest
Archives at URL= http://gaia1.ies.wisc.edu/research/pngfores/
Networked by:
Ecological Enterprises/ 301K Eagle Heights/ Madison, WI 53705
USA/ Phone- (608) 233-2194/ Fax- (608) 233-2193/ Emails-
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
