India: Clouds of Injustice - Bhopal disaster 22 Years on
Updated: 23 October 2006
Indian victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy shout anti-government and anti-Union Carbide slogans during a protest near the Parliament House, in New Delhi 25 July 2005. Hundreds of protesters demanded the government to announce relief measures for the victims of the 1984 tragedy and take immediate steps to extradite former Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson and other representatives to India, and to have them stand trial in Bhopal.
RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images
December 3rd, 2006, will mark the 22nd anniversary of the chemical disaster in Bhopal, India. Despite more than two decades having passed, the site of the toxic gas leak at a Union Carbide plant remains unremediated. Drinking water is unsafe for consumption, and the long-term environmental consequences of the disaster are rivaled only by its adverse health effects, with increased incidences of cancers and many other diseases in the population of Bhopal. Thousands have died as a result of this tragedy, and over 100,000 continue to suffer, yet Dow Chemical Corporation, the parent company of Union Carbide, has refused to accept any responsibility. For more information, download Amnesty’s report: Clouds of injustice: Bhopal disaster 20 years on.
KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
It is now 22 years after the disaster, and the people of Bhopal are still dying without access to effective health care, safe drinking water, or a healthy environment. Join Amnesty International in our efforts to see Dow assume their responsibilities related to this disaster. Demand that the long-standing environmental devastation wrought by Union Carbide on December 2nd and 3rd, 1984, be remediated, and that those affected receive the treatment and remunerations that they deserve.
TAKE ACTION until human rights violations in Bhopal are made history.
TAKE ACTION#1: Posters
Amnesty International has produced posters depicting the cases of six victims of the Bhopal disaster – Zaki, Sitara, Shaheen, Munni, Faujia and Hasina. These individuals represent more than one hundred thousand victims suffering today in Bhopal. Use these powerful posters to raise awareness about these enduring human rights abuses, on the anniversary and throughout the year.
You could organize a stand or display in public areas, using the posters to highlight the ongoing violations occurring in Bhopal and spread your main messages regarding Dow’s accountability for the Bhopal disaster. Effective public places may include: schools, universities and colleges, shopping centres, town halls, public squares or Christmas markets.
Select the links in the right side bar to view and download the posters.
TAKE ACTION#2: Write to Dow
Send a letter or email to Dow Chemical Company, demanding that they clean up the factory site and remove the stockpiles of chemical abandoned by the company.
A sample letter is provided below. We encourage you to personalize the letter by adding your own thoughts.
WRITE TO:
Andrew N. Liveris
Chief Executive Officer
Dow Chemical Co
2030 Dow Center
Midland, MI 48674 USA
E-mail: anliveris@dow.com
Sample Letter
Dear Mr Liveris,
I am extremely concerned that the Union Carbide Company continues to evade its responsibilities for the consequences of the 1984 gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India .
Exposure to the toxins at the time of the disaster had catastrophic consequences, causing the deaths of more than 7,000 people within days, many of whom were children. Since then, thousands of individuals have died or have developed chronic and debilitating illnesses preventing them from carrying out the most basic tasks and affecting their ability to work. As early as 1982, UCC was aware that there were major safety concerns regarding the Bhopal plant. Months before the December 1984 disaster, the US parent company was warned that such a disaster could take place. UCC still has not disclosed the identity of the gases released nor the related toxicological information critical for the medical treatment of victims.
I urge you to ensure that UCC:
- appears before the Bhopal Court in the criminal case;
- promptly makes public all information it has on the gases released on the day of the leak and full information regarding their toxicity and impact on people and the environment;
- co-operates fully with those who are assessing the long-term health consequences of the gas leak and of the hazardous and toxic substances left on site since 1984.
Sincerely,