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dam-l LS: UNOCAL pulls out of controversial Maroli Port project in India
>For Immediate Release Contact: Amit Srivastava
>Friday, May 26, 2000 +1 415 561 6472
>
>UNOCAL pulls out of controversial Indian project- One Activist Killed
>
>San Francisco: California based UNOCAL has announced that it is pulling
>out of the Rs. 1,200 crore (US$ 300 million) port project in Maroli, a
>joint venture with Indian firm NATELCO in the state of Gujarat in India.
>
>A local group, Kinara Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (Committee for the Struggle
>to Save the Coast), has been protesting the proposed project since March
>1999. According to the Kinara Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, the project would
>destroy the fishing community as well the agriculturists in the
>ecologically fragile zone.
>
>The situation took a grim turn when on April 8, 2000, local police
>officials arrested and severely beat activists opposed to the Maroli port
>project. As a result of the beatings, Col. Pratap Save, a leader of the
>movement opposed to the port, died on April 20 due to a brain hemorrhage.
>
>UNOCAL and NATELCO have not issued any statement on Col. Save's killing and
>various NGO and governmental inquiries are taking place into the torture
>and killing of Col. Save.
>
>UNOCAL posted a press release on its website on May 19, 2000 announcing it
>had pulled out from the Maroli port project. However, the press release
>said they had pulled out on March 14, 2000, three weeks before the violent
>crackdown on activists opposed to the UNOCAL-NATELCO port project.
>
>UNOCAL is still active in other projects in India, mainly in oil and gas
>exploration and development. UNOCAL is under intense attack from
>international human rights groups for knowingly using forced labor in the
>construction of the Yadana gas pipeline in neighboring Burma.
>
>====30====
>
>
>==================================
>Amit Srivastava
>Climate Justice Coordinator
>Transnational Resource and Action Center (TRAC)/ Corporate Watch
>P.O. Box 29344, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
>Tel: 1 415 561 6472 Fax: 1 415 561 6493
>Email: amit@corpwatch.org
>Web: http://www.corpwatch.org
>==================================