Watchdog group says Chevron complicit in Myanmar
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A human rights watchdog group on Tuesday accused Chevron Corp (CVX.N) of complicity in human rights abuses along a natural gas pipeline in Myanmar in which it holds a stake and said Chevron could be sued.
EarthRights International claimed in a report issued on Tuesday that Myanmar's army has in recent years committed serious abuses including rape and murder while providing security for the pipeline that moves gas from the Yadana gas field, located offshore in the Andaman Sea.
The group also said the army has forced Burmese citizens to build sentry posts, perform security duties along the pipeline and maintain roads.
"The people of Burma are making the pipeline go through their own physical energy, their blood, their sweat and their tears," Katie Redford, U.S. office director of EarthRights, said in an interview.
"That's what 'Human Energy' means in Burma," Redford said, referring to Chevron's current advertising campaign, which aims to improve the company's image on environmental and social issues.
Myanmar was called Burma until 1989, and opposition groups and some countries have not recognized the name change.
The country has been under military control since a 1962 coup d'etat.
The army held elections in 1990, but did not hand over power when it was defeated by opposition party the National League for Democracy.
Last year, protests led by Myanmar's Buddhist monks brought massive crowds to its largest city, Yangon, but demonstrations were halted after security forces raided monasteries and imposed curfews.
EarthRights International said its report was the result of more than 70 interviews as well as informal contacts.
Chevron said it strongly disagreed with the report. "The allegations of human rights abuses associated with the project are baseless," spokesman Kurt Glaubitz said in a statement.
Yadana "helps meet the energy needs of people in the region, supports critical health, education and infrastructure programs, and serves as a positive influence in the country," he said, adding that third-party audits have touted the benefits of community engagement programs along the pipeline.
Washington banned new investments in Myanmar by U.S. companies in 1997, but Chevron took over a 28-percent stake in the Yadana project when it purchased Unocal in 2005.
French oil company Total SA (TOTF.PA) owns 31 percent and operates the project, which produced 761 million cubic feet per day in 2007. Thai energy company PTT PTT.BK and Myanmar's state owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise are also partners in Yadana.
The field's pipeline runs from the project to the Thai border, including a 39-mile (63-kilometer) stretch in Myanmar. Continued...
