Twenty Ogoni men awaiting trial for the same murder for which the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed last year have begun a hunger strike. Some have been in jail for over three years. The Nigerian government refuses to grant them bail, much less bring them to trial According to the New York Times, "General Abacha knows that executing them or even trying them will draw unwanted attention. Instead, he seems prepared to let them die in jail untried" (NYT 6 August 1997)
The Ogoni 20 are in prison because like Ken Saro-Wiwa, they opposed Shell's dirty operations in Nigeria and the devastation of Ogoni land through 30 years of oil drilling activities.
Shell had a direct role in the arrest, detention, and subsequent torture of at least some of the accused. Shell's tarisation of the Chagos. And any case, the
Cold War is over. The USA is closing down many bases, and plans to close down still more bases. Recently Subic Bay and Pearl
Harbour bases have been down-graded.
But Britain and the USA want to hold on to the BIOT for economic reasons, as well as military. This beautiful coral island, described by an Englishman shipwrecked on it in 1786 as "one of the wonderful phenomena of the globe" is now an Anglo-American military enterprise. The vast banks and shelves around the Chagos are probably a source of great riches. Riches which should not belong to the multinationals of the UK and USA but to the people who live here. *
* This article is based on an open letter to British Premier
Tony Blair which the author signed on behalf of the Lalit group, 133 Main Road, Grand River North West, Port
Louis, Mauritius Tel/Fax: 230-208-2132. email:
<lalmel @bow.intnet.mu>
Notes
1. The "excision" of 1965 was null and void because of being contrary to UN General Assembly resolutions 1514
(XXV) and 2066, the Constitution of Mauritius reads as follows: (Sec. 111): "Mauritius includes - (a) the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, Tromelin, Cargados
Carajos and the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego
Garcia and any other island comprised in the State of
Mauritius".
2. The Washington Post, 11 September, 1975
3. file number FO 371/184523, as reported in the
Mauritian magazine Week End. by Ogoni prisoners security force, known locally as the "Shell Police" are accused of numerous incidents of repression of peaceful protest and harassment of activists. According to two of the accused, "Shell Police replied that nothing can make us free from their hand."
Since the Ogoni began a non-violent campaign against oil destruction, over 2,000 people have died at the hands of soldiers and policemen armed and paid for by Shell. * What to do: Protest to Shell: in the US, call 1 800 845-5264 or fax 713-241-4044 and address Mr. Philip J. Carroll, CEO, Shell Oil Corporation, Houston, TX 77252. Email Shell at "[email protected]" and cc: "[email protected]" or visit their website at www.shell.com" Organise demonstrations at Shell stations. For more information, contact Steve Kretzmann, Project Underground 184/ Berkeley Way Berkeley, CA, 94703; Tel: 510-7058982; Fax: 510-705-8983; E-mail: [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ReSEARCH AND EDuCATioN
Populism in Latin America
Adolfo Gilly, Helena Hirata, Carlos M. Vilas and the PRT (Argentina) [40 pages]
• £2/$3.50/20FF. Cheque payable to P. Rousset, IIRE, Postbus 53290, 1007 Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Americas *