Hello Marsha, and thanks for getting back to me.
Here are a few additional sites with useful (and relatively recent)
information on the situation in Aceh:
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http://www.globalpolicy.org/wtc/analysis/2002/1000exxon.htm
US Asks US Court to Stop Human Rights Suit by Indonesian Villagers
Against Exxon Mobil for Counterterrorism Purposes
October, 2002
On July 29, 2002, the US Department of State told a US District Court
that an international human rights suit against the Exxon Mobil
Corporation could undermine the war on terrorism. n1
The International Labor Rights Fund filed the lawsuit last year on
behalf of eleven villagers in the Indonesian province of Aceh. They
allege that Exxon, which operates a huge natural gas field in the
province, paid and directed Indonesian security forces that committed
murder, torture and rape in the course of protecting Exxon's
operations in the 1990s. The complaint alleges that the villagers have
been subjected to "serious human rights abuses, including genocide,
murder, torture, crimes against humanity, sexual violence, and
kidnapping in violation of the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA), 28 U.S.C.
§ 1350, the Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA), 28 U.S.C. § 1350
(note), international human rights law, and the statutory and common
tort law of the District of Columbia." n2 Exxon has adamantly denied
the charges.
==========
Here's a link to the website of the International Labor Rights Fund,
the group that filed the lawsuit against ExxonMobil:
http://www.laborrights.org/
On the left hand side of the page is some clickable text, "Current
Projects" Clicking on this takes you to more clickable text under the
category of "Corporate Labor Rights Abuses". One of these is:
"Exxon/Mobil Abuses in Aceh, Indonesia".
If you click on this, you will be taken to a page where you can access
loads of information on the situation in Aceh, including State
Department documents, and the actual complaint filed in U.S. court.
===========
The laborrights.org main page also includes a link to:
"The Alien Tort Claims Act - A Vital Tool for Preventing Corporations
from Violating Fundamental Human Rights"
This is a very detailed (50+ pages) explanation of this law, which, in
a nutshell, is one of a handful of U.S. laws that allows suits to
brought against companies for actions taken outside the usual legal
jurisdiction of the United States -- that is, groups can bring suit in
the U.S. against a U.S. company for its actions in other countries
such as Indonesia.
==========
I hope this answer provides you the information you were seeking. If
anything here is unclear, or if you need additional information, just
let me know by posting a Request for Clarification, and I'll be happy
to assist you further.
pafalafa-ga
search strategy -- Google search on: Exxon aceh |
