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| 16th November
1995 | Issue
49 SHELL
SCUM!
11.30am
Port Harcourt Prison, south-east Nigeria. Ken Saro-Wiwa,
Dr.
Barinen Klobel,
John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Saturday Dobee, Felix
Nuate, Nordu
Eawoh, Paul Levurah and Daniel
Gbokoo are executed. "I
repeat that we all stand before history. I and
my colleagues are not the only ones on trial.
Shell's day will surely
come for there is no doubt in my mind that the ecological war that
the Company has waged in the delta will be called
to question and the crimes of that war be duly punished."
- Ken
Saro-Wiwa at his trial. Last
Friday in a two fingers gesture to the world,
the Nigerian military regime put to death nine
people who paid the ultimate price tor campaigning for the most
basic of human rights:
the right for clean air, land and water for
the Ogoni
people of the Nigeria delta. It
took five bungled attempts to hang Ken Saro Wiwa. His final words
"What country is this? What are you doing to me?" should be
shoved down the throats
of the Commonwealth
governments who only offered 'gentle persuasion' to the Nigerian
dictatorship not
to
carry out the death penalty and Shell Oil,
who expressed its
"deep regret" but
in the next
breathe, indicated it
would press ahead with fresh investments in Nigeria. This said the
Nigerian
government 'vindicates the executions.' "The
Ogoni land is one of the most polluted places on the planet with
gas fires burning 24 hours a day, fountains of oil pouring into
villagers fields, contaminated water, leaking pipelines, pools of
sulphur and drainage problems.
- The land is so
devastated environmentally that fishermen and farmers cannot sustain
their lives."
In
1989 in despair at the continuing destruction of
their land Ken Saro-Wiwa, well-known author and playwright,
established the Movement for
the
Survival
of
the Ogoni
People (MOSOP). demanding autonomy for their region and a fair share
of oil wealth. Shell are the
biggest oil firm in the
country currently producing 900,000 barrels a day in Nigeria, half
the country's output - where 80 per cent of the governments revenue
comes from oil it is Shell that helps to prop up the military
regime. In
January 1993,
300,000 Ogoni staged
a peaceful protest to coincide with the start of the world year of
indigenous people.
As the protests escalated
Shell had to pull out of Ogoni land. A leaked memo stated that
operations were still impossible "unless ruthless military
operations are undertaken for smooth economic activities to
commence." Later
that year military force was used in a series of brutal attacks
which left 750 Ogoni
dead and 30,000 homeless. In May '94 Saro-Wiwa was imprisoned by the
military police on fabricated charges of
murder - he
spent 63 of these days in chains. Two weeks later
all nine were
sentenced to
death. "Shell
had ample opportunity to demonstrate concern over the 17 months of
my fathers incarceration and
trial.
They chose to maintain their cosy relationship with the military
dictatorship to secure oil profits rather than
condemn the brutal and unjust arrest and later sentencing on
non-violent environmental campaigners." Indeed
minutes released between the Nigerian High Commissioner and four
senior oil executives at the Shell Centre in London
showed no attempt to intervene on the activists behalf. The sole
topic was how to handle the
bad publicity. When Ken Saro-Wiwa was incited for murder,
Shell said the verdict was not its concern... The deaths have outraged the whole world. People are being urged to boycott Shell but "Shells Nigeria actions are indicative of the nature of multinational companies. Through the exploitation of oil, the Ogoni's chief 'livelihood, their land, is being poisoned. Soon they will have no choice but to become players in the economic system from which Shell derives it dominance." Shell's
gross income for 1990 was 132 billion -
more than Tanzania,
Ethiopia, Napal,
Bangladesh, Zaire, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Pakistan combined! 500
million people, 10% of the worlds population, live in these
countries. PEOPLE
NOT PROFITS
The
whole issue brings into question the way our
world is
run and controlled by huge multinational
companies unaccountable and
uncaring, continually over-riding
the wishes
of people
and the planet in their ruthless quest for profits.
Boycott Shell - but
then what?
Oil companies the world
over are devastating the environment and displacing people. It
must
go further
than a simple boycott. It must be about challenging
the way the world is being destroyed for greed by a few. So where to
do we begin? Get yourself informed, get yourself active. Fight back
-
as well as working
towards sustainable lifestyles. "The
power wielded
by these organisations is greater than that of many, if not all
governments and makes a mockery of certain countries claims to
democracy...
multinationals are
beholden neither to local communities nor to national electorates,
they are
the chief obstacle to the resolution of our environmental and social
problems.
70% of all world
trade is now
controlled by just 500 corporations." *
On the Friday spontaneous actions at Newbury, Oxford, Cambridge and
Brighton took place at Shell garages, along with a demonstration
of 150 writers outside the Nigerian embassy. People were nicked
outside the embassy after locking on to the railings. Giving the
names of the nine Ogoni
killed they were charged for trespassing on diplomatic territory and
kept in the
cells for 26 hours for their troubles. * On
Wednesday people picketed the
"Management Summit 95" in London. Top-notch
executives from a whole host of multi-murdering corporations came to
hear speakers (on a mere £5,000 for a 40 minute chat) such as the
president of McDonalds on "how to successfully manage the
globalisation of corporations" or the head of Nestle, no doubt
avoiding the issue of their companies relish in telling
mothers from the third
world that powdered
milk is better than breast. Or what about the
MD of Minolta Europe, who sees every future market dominated by four
of five global corporations, each "infinitely caring" for
billions of customers. "Global corporations must love
people". Just like Shell love the
Ogoni...
*
Give Shell a bell 0171 934 2371/5522/4943 *
Corporate Watch
- how best to research rotten companies. Send SAE to Bow CW, 111
Magdalen Rd, Oxford, OX4 1RQ.
Or Ethical Consumer, 16
Nicholas St.
Manchester M1
(0161 237 1630). *
Whose Common Future? Reclaiming the Commons book by The Ecologist
(Earthscan Publications).
Essential if you want to understand the worlds accelerating
environmental crisis brought about by 'nation building', 'economic
growth' and 'development'. "What communities need is not
outside 'management', but control over their own resources and the
scope to run their
own affairs. * Earth First! offer no compromise in defence of Mother Earth. They publish an excellent monthly newsletter. £4 (more if you can afford it) for 12 copies to EF! AU subscriptions, c/o Dead Trees EF! Box 25, 82Colston St. Bristol BS1 5BB. 01935825074 NATIONAL
DAY OF ACTION AGAINST
SHELL
ASYLUM
NIGHTMARE
Yet
again the race card is being played by the Conservatives. The Asylum
and Immigration Bill is
just part of the package to ensure electoral success. The Bill
(presently in its early stages) will be accompanied by an aptly
named 'white list' - countries considered by
the Home Office to be safe and which asylum seekers from that
country will be automatically deported back. It is believed to
include Sri Lanka, Algeria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland and Nigeria
(though the later would now almost be impossible to include due to
last weeks executions) Since the Nigerian military annulled the
presidential elections in June 93 out of 9,000 Nigerians who have
applied to Britain for asylum, only 4 nave been granted refuge
status and 15 exceptional leave to remain. Many of
these so called 'safe' countries have severe human rights problems
or are in civil war. Many people have already been deported back
into the arms
of dictatorships to face imprisonment or even death. Despite
an arms embargo by the British and US Government against Nigeria -
sales continue. The recent sale of 80 British tanks are classed
as non lethal - are they to be used for stockcar racing! DSS
workers, already being used by the
government to implement the hated JobSeekers Allowance are, along
with teachers, NHS staff and council workers
to be held responsible for checking the immigration status of the
public and to grass on any suspect illegal immigrants. Obviously
black and Asian people will be targeted for harassment and could be
refused services until the immigration checks are complete. If a
racist is working
in the public sector they will have
the power to deny
benefits, housing, medical assistance,
teaching etc. In
October Peter Lilley,
the Social Security Secretary, announced the abolition of benefits
for Asylum seekers. Using the 'if we can't kick 'em out, then let's
starve them out' approach the treasury will save an estimated £150-200
million. Most Asylum
seekers find it virtually impossible to find jobs due to prejudice
and their uncertain immigration status, combined with the fact that
for the first six months asylum seekers can't legally look for work.
For the 30,000 + people affected it will cut off
their only lifeline.
The
Bill also threatens to fine employers who have taken
on illegal immigrants, giving rise to more discrimination. Already
the unemployment rate for blacks and Asians is 18.8% - more than
double that of whites. On average Afro-Caribbean's earn 98p less
than whites and Pakistanis and Bangladeshis £2.52 less per hour!
Fact:
There are more
people leaving Britain each year than coming in. Can you blame them? Refugee Council, 0171 820 3000. Campaign against the Asylum and Immigration Bill, c/o CAPA, St Hildas East Community Centre, 18 Club Row, London, E2 7EY.
e-SchNEWS
e-mail:
Justice@internmedia.co.uk DISGRACEFUL!
The great traditions of British democracy were disgracefully flouted this week when a small group of nasty extremists protested outside the state opening of parliament - simply because the government is bringing a new racist law (the Asylum Bill) that will mean starvation and death for thousands of asylum seekers. Do
these protesting yobs care nothing for great British traditions such
as the state
opening of parliament - and state racism? In a particularly
disgraceful scene the miscreants threw paint over Brian Mawhinney,
the chairman of the Conservative Party, forcing him to go
into a TV discussion without his rather wet jacket. Just as
well Labour Party deputy leader John Prescott was in the studio to
join Mr Mawhinney in roundly condemning the "violence" of
these cowardly paint-throwers. A government that
refuses entry to families
fleeing war and genocide is one thing, but an anti-racist
demonstrator throwing coloured liquid at a fellow politician - that
really does need condemning! PETROL
BOMB!
Two well-to-do landowners from Newbury petrol bombed a sleeping family in their coach at the Redden's Copse site, one of the camps set up to fight the proposed town's by-pass. Jerry, Amanda (who is pregnant) and Ben (6) were woken by flames coming from their vehicle late one night. Two 'people' wearing balaclavas were seen driving away from the site. Their registration number was taken and the Boys in Blue arrested some real criminals (for a change). The
family were unharmed, but a spokesperson for the Third Battle of
Newbury said of the attack. "It was only due to Jerry
being awake that possible deaths were prevented."
An action outside the court is guaranteed for when these inbred
animals come to trial Get on the action phone tree for the Newbury
campaign. Ring 01635 45544 / 45545.
INSIDE
SchNEWS
Hugh Baker, a Manchester Earth First!er arrested for aggravated trespass during a solidarity action against the M77 in Glasgow, was imprisoned in Strangeways for 7 days for non-payment of fines. He should be back on the streets by the time this reaches you. Meanwhile Iggy, the Kent road protester who spent 22 days inside on remand for 2 cases of aggravated trespass and breaking bail conditions received 120 hours community service. Thanking people for the letters he received in prison, he told SchNEWS how important it is to write to those inside. Nine people were jailed in September for their involvement in Anti Nazi League demonstrations in Welling a couple of years back. Their sentences range from 16 months to 3 years drop 'em a line. At HMP
Elmley, Church Road, East
Church, Sheerness,
Kent
ME12 4AY:- Kari
Anacoura
(RN0599), Sanjiv Karia (RN0598),
Russell Wild (RN0597), Paul Gay
(RN0593), Gary Haynes (RN0591), Mark Gay
(RN0594).
SchNEWS
IN BRIEF
Squatters are winning the battle against the new Interim Possession Orders (I.P.O.'s), which came in 10 weeks ago under the Criminal Justice Act. (CJA.) The I.P.O.'s were meant to make squatting harder by making it an imprisonable offence not to leave a building within 24 hours of being served one or to return within a year. There's only been 4 cases since I.P.O.'s came in and the squatters have only lost once (because they didn't bother contesting it). If you get served one, ring the Advisory Service for Squatters the same day on 0171 359 8814 *** Greenline magazine are being sued by COPEX for warning people in the mag. that COPEX will sue you if you even mention them in print (hang on...) They need money and free legal advice - 01726 850500 *** 45 workers at J.J. Fast Food Distribution (North London) have been sacked for joining the Transport and General Workers Union. Out of JJ.'s 75 employees, 45 joined the union to protest against low wages, (new workers got £130 a week 6 years ago compared to £180 now,) no sick pay, no holiday pay, it goes on. Support the sacked workers by sending donations or joining the daily protests - 0181 802 9804. ***
Next Saturday (25th) there's another Groundswell
Conference in Oxford. If you want to get active in the Campaign
against the JobSeekers Allowance (JSA) ring 01865 723750 ***
Meanwhile in Edinburgh claimants besieged High Riggs Unemployment
Benefit Office then occupied the Grand Met Training Agency in
protest against the ghastly JSA 0131 332 7574 ***
Police officers need retraining to deal with demos, according to
police bloke Commander Kendrick. He came to this conclusion after
the shambles at the C J.B. demo last October, when riot police
"seemed reluctant to withdraw" after being ordered to. He
noted the "indifference to evidence gathering and successful
prosecution" during the demo. Other new projects on the 'public
order' front are a Public Order Intelligence System to gather info,
on potential "trouble makers" and video cameras in riot
shields so they can see what they're hitting *** and
Finally
Howard
Youth
- Michael has been shooting his
mouth off about getting together an army of "youngsters"
to combat crime. He wants them all to go out and join Neighbourhood
Watch schemes. He doesn't realise they're already fighting crime -
the criminal exploitation of the planet and its inhabitants by
nuclear testing, car culture, open cast miners, multinationals,
coppers enforcing barmy laws, the list goes on and on and zzzz... DISCLAIMER
Subscribe!
Keep
SchNEWS free! Just send 1st class stamps
(eg 20 for next 20 issues) or donations (payable to Justice?) .Mark
'Original' if you plan to copy: SchNEWS c/o on-the-fiddle PO Box
2600 Brighton East Sussex BN2 2DX. Tel: (01273) 685913. Next
Justice?
meeting Wed Nov 29th
@ Unemployed Centre
(Carlton Hill, behind Am Ex) @ 7.30pm
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