Interesting data
Mining and crimes against native populations in a neo-colonial economy
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- Created: Friday, 23 March 2012 15:33
- Published: Friday, 23 March 2012 15:33
- Written by Colin Sumner
- Hits: 2759
When you research the history of crime during colonial periods, one of the very first things you notice is the abuse of workers and neighbouring villagers by mining company staff. See, for example, Charles Van Onselen's Chibaro [1976] and my Crime Justice and Underdevelopment [1982]. Local populations do not rush to be exploited or to join monetized economies, unless they are given little choice. Brutal force, kidnapping, the poll tax and the whip have all played their part in the coercive formation of working-classes in sub-Saharan Africa. Without it, a labour force tolerating abuse and needing money might never have been created.
It seems from the cuttings below that we are witnessing the same story again, but this time the locations are different and the companies often Canadian, unsurprisingly given Canada's huge mineral resources industry. This time too, the abused natives fight back with law suits and the home country is appalled at the allegations in an alleged age of social responsibility in the mining industry. But, in the end, when are these companies brought to justice and when do their employees pay for their crimes? Why do the stories below sound like the late nineteenth century? Where is the international legal mechanism to make abusers pay the full price?
Widow files $12M suit against mining company
Guatemalan lawsuits to continue against HudBay, says lawyer
Claims of sexual abuses in Tanzania blow to Barrick Gold
These press cuttings were in an Avaaz request for donations to assist local communities in countries like Guatemala. Recently, Avaaz sent out this message, which I'm sure they won't mind me reproducing here:
"When security forces of a Canadian mining company brutally evicted Mayan families from their villages in Guatemala, eleven women were raped, a community leader was killed, and a young man paralyzed. Now villagers are standing up and suing HudBay Minerals for these horrific crimes -- but they need our help to match the corporate legal firepower and win their case!
The victims have filed a lawsuit in Canada, where HudBay’s headquarters are located. But HudBay is asking that the court turn over the lawsuit to Guatemala, where its weak courts are likely to let them go free. Experts say that the ruling could have massive reverberations beyond Canadian borders -- a win for the plaintiffs could force HudBay and other multinationals to clean up their acts abroad.
The court hearing is happening now and the plaintiffs need our help to cover the legal costs -- if we raise enough funds, we can give these villagers the same legal firepower as HudBay’s corporate machine, achieve justice for the victims, and continue campaigning to protect human rights over profits around the world. Click on the link below to chip in. If just 20,000 of us donate today, we could help end these mining murders for good by setting a key legal precedent:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_murder_and_rape_for_profit_uk/?vl
Multinational companies are responsible for some of the most terrible crimes all over the world but shockingly, corporate abuses often go unpunished. In mining alone, corporate giants like Rio Tinto and Barrick Gold are accused of a wide range of atrocities that include environmental destruction, brutal gang rapes, and even thousands of deaths -- from Tanzania to Papua New Guinea. Winning this case could begin to put corporate wrongdoing in check.
Companies like HudBay can often act with impunity because they think their countries' courts won’t police the crimes they commit overseas. Or they set up shell corporations designed to protect their headquarters from liability. If we win this case, it could set a precedent that can help stop rapes, save entire villages, and protect fragile ecosystems -- no matter where these companies operate.
These firms have millions of dollars and will do whatever it takes to win this and similar cases because they know it’s a game changer. Giving just a small amount will help in the fight to bring them to justice. Click here to help:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_murder_and_rape_for_profit_uk/?vl
Courts are supposed to be places where people go to get justice. But all too often, corporate interests have made them the bastions of the rich and powerful. We have taken on deep rooted corruption before and won. Now let's stand with and empower these victims and help create a world where no one is above the law."