Is Exxon/Mobile responsible for human rights abuses in Aceh, Indonesia?

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 06 Jan 2004 21:23 PST

As you might imagine, there's a wide variety of opinions on this issue.

Would articles and resources from both sides of the debate (i.e.,
anti-Exxon and pro-Exxon) be acceptable to you as an answer?

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Clarification of Question by curiousmarsha-ga on 07 Jan 2004 12:52 PST

I would like information on either or both sides from reputable
sources.  I'm not saying that Exxon/Mobile has done the abuse(although
if there is evidence to support this, I would be interested in reading
it), but that it knew about it while it was supporting the
perpetrators of the abuse.  This must be current information certainly
some in 2003.  Thank you.

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Request for Question Clarification by mvguy-ga on 07 Jan 2004 12:55 PST

How many sources would you expect as part of your answer?

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Clarification of Question by curiousmarsha-ga on 07 Jan 2004 13:00 PST

I would like as many as you can find.

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 07 Jan 2004 15:30 PST

"As many as you can find" is a pretty tall order for a $2 question. 
There are potentially hundreds of articles and resources on this
subject.

You may wish to review Google Answers' pricing guidelines:
http://answers.google.com/answers/pricing.html

Dear Marsha, 

This is a very interesting question. Human rights activists claim that
ExxonMobil has been involved in numerous human rights violations in
Aceh and has in fact "had been financing the military operation in
Aceh for a decade since 1989." (See resource "TESTIMONY"). TNI bases
were parts of the ExxonMobil compound, it has been also claimed.

These testimony and others were part of the campaign ran by the
International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF), culminating in a law suit
filed by this organisation against ExxonMobil in a U.S. District Court
(2002). Later that year, it had been reported (by human rights
activists) that "US urges judge to back ExxonMobil in Aceh human
rights case" (See article with the same title, Jim Lobe, Inter Press
Service, <http://www.cyberdyaryo.com/features/f2002_0809_03.htm>).

ExxonMobil claim in their response: "We are disturbed by any
suggestion that ExxonMobil or its affiliate companies are in any way
involved with alleged human rights abuses by security forces in Aceh.
ExxonMobil condemns the violation of human rights in any form and
categorically denies these allegations. We are deeply troubled and
highly concerned about the violence in North Aceh, and it is our
steadfast hope that the political and economic turmoil in the province
will be peacefully resolved." (SOURCE: Media Statement - Aceh Human
Rights, ExxonMobil, <http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Newsroom/Newsreleases/corp_xom_nr_100701_3.asp>).

The campaign against ExxonMobil gained some considerable success, as
of May 2003, "ExxonMobil is currently being sued due to alleged human
rights abuses perpetrated by security forces contracted by the company
in Aceh, Indonesia, where ExxonMobil has been forced at great expense
to halt oil production at its facilities. In its recent report,
Deutsche Bank stated that the ?StopEsso!? campaign,which has now
spread from Europe to the United States, has caused ?brand
difficulties? to ExxonMobil. In its report, Deutsche Bank advised
investors to avoid buying more shares in ExxonMobil." (SOURCE: "Dear
ExxonMobil Shareholder" <http://www.uusc.org/info/exxon2.pdf>


Sources: 
TESTIMONY ON EXXONMOBIL INVOLVEMENT IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN ACEH
Stop ExxonMobil, <http://www.pacificenvironment.org/stopexxonmobil/aceh_testimony.html>
(A testimony on the sirect involvement of the company in human rights
abuses, or at least, its knowledge of their existance).

Links: Business and Human Rights on the suit against Exxon-Mobil
<http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Lawlawsuits/Lawsuitsregulatoryaction/LawsuitsSelectedcases/ExxonMobillawsuitreAceh>
List of sources you could read. 

ExxonMobil rejects Aceh human rights abuse claims
<http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/06/22/indonesia.exxon.mobil/> 
CNN report on the case.

I hope this answers your question. My search terms have been pretty obvious: 
- ExxonMobil  "human rights" Aceh, with or without the dates. 

Please contact me if you need any further clarification on this answer
before you rate it.

The ones who responsible for abuses in Aceh also responsible for
abuses in Iraq, Iran, Israel, U.S.A. , Indonesia, China, Japan, and so
on.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is only an isolated event or
that it's only a local event.

It should be noted that the ones who are doing the abuses are also the
ones promoted 'human rights'. Are 'human rights' made to protect
humans? Unlikely, it's made to give some proxy agents more power and
also to madw humans fight each other.

"
12. Our right lies in force. The word "right" is an abstract thought
and proved by nothing. The word means no more than: Give me what I
want in order that thereby I may have a proof that I am stronger than
you.

13. Where does right begin? Where does it end?
"

What ever happened, when ever and where ever it happened, we all
should remind ourself that we should stick with our own business.