The truth that Chevron doesn’t want to you to hear

On May 24, I traveled to Houston, Texas, to join indigenous community leaders and earth rights activists from around the globe who are part of  The True Cost of Chevron Network. We came to Houston to attend Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting and speak directly to the company and its shareholders about the severe impacts this oil giant is causing to our people and our lands. We came to demand that Chevron improve its practices in our communities, and stop deceiving the public and its investors about the true cost of its operations.

Unfortunately, Chevron didn’t want its shareholders to hear about its complicity in human rights abuses and corruption, toxic pollution, environmentally dangerous practices, and other harmful activities around the globe.

Guillermo Grefa, an indigenous Kichwa leader from Ecuador, and Naing Htoo outside Chevron's Houston headquarters

Instead, Chevron viewed its annual meeting as a public relations opportunity; a time to tout its successes and pretend that it is a responsible corporate actor. To accomplish this deceit it tried to silence us, representatives of communities all over the globe affected by this company. Under threats of arrest, Chevron refused us entry into the shareholder meeting. All of us had valid legal proxies that granted us access to the meeting, but the company cared little.

It was so disturbing to see people like Neil McKenzie — who had never before left his homeland in the Kimberly of Australia — to make the trip all the way to Houston to speak directly to the company only to be refused entry and threatened. An indigenous traditional owner, he only wanted to tell the company and its shareholders about the huge threat Chevron’s proposed LGN project will have on one of the world’s great natural and cultural regions. It was a shocking but typical example of this company’s attitude towards local and indigenous communities. For those of us who all too often suffer human rights abuses committed by security forces working for Chevron, this was a reminder that even in the United States, Chevron is finding ways to try to silence our voices.

However, instead of silencing us, Chevron’s actions only served to create further resolve and solidarity among our emerging Network. With representatives from Australia, Burma, Nigeria, Ecuador, Colombia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Alaska, Canada, California, and Texas (to name a few), we represent some of the most diverse, ancient, and unique cultures and environments on the planet. We all have our own stories about how Chevron’s operations affect the people in our communities, and now we have a common experience that binds us further. Thanks Chevron! You really know how to bring communities together. . .  

True Cost of Chevron Network holds a press conference at Chevron’s Houston Offices on May 25, 2010

I was also in Houston for other Chevron related events. On May 25, we held a press conference in front of  the Chevron building and tried to submit an alternative annual report to the Chevron CEO, John Watson, but he refused once again to listen to the voices of Chevron-affected communities and to accept the report or meet with our group. Another example Chevron’s policies towards the communities within which they operate.

Here are some of our stories that Chevron doesn’t want you to hear:

Burma

I am an ethnic Karen from Burma, a country in Southeast Asia that has been ruled by a brutal military regime for decades. The military regime has a record of human rights violations committed against its own citizens, and relies heavily on natural gas exploitation to maintain its power, allowing the military government to continue to suppress the people of Burma. The regime brutally cracks down on peaceful demonstrations that call for democracy, killing thousands in order to keep its power. Despite these atrocities, Chevron entered a partnership with this military regime on the Yadana gas pipeline.  The Yadana project is one of two largest sources of revenue for the Burmese military junta, which ERI estimated generated over $1 billion in 2008 alone, and has generated $7.5 billion since gas began to flow in 2000.

Human rights violations committed by pipeline security battalions in the pipeline area continue. Portering, forced labor, murders, and restriction of movement of the villagers continue 18 years after pipeline construction began. Despite the outcry of local people and the international community, Chevron continues to deny the existence of abuses associated with its project, and has taken insufficient steps to end the abuses of its partner, the Burmese army.

Chevron is not just ignoring what is happening on the ground in Burma, but it is also resisting calls for it to practice revenue transparency in Burma. In April 2010, over 160 groups from Burma, the international community, former world leaders, investment firms, unions, and academics called on Chevron and its corporate partners disclose payments it has made to military. Chevron continues to refuse to disclose this vital information.

Alaska

In Alaska, Chevron has ignored calls to clean up its waste and stop dumping toxic pollution into salmon, halibut and other fisheries in and around Cook Inlet.  Alaskan native communities and their allies have been fighting Chevron’s toxic dumping practices for years as fishing in their community is major source of income.

California

Since 2006, the Chevron Richmond Refinery in California, has been in “high priority violation” (HPV) of the Clean Air Act and in violation of state environmental law with serious repercussions for the health of those living in Richmond. High levels of pollutants and toxic heavy metals known to cause cancer and respiratory problems have been found inside the homes of residents. Children in Richmond who suffer from asthma “are hospitalized for this condition at twice the rate of children throughout Contra Costa country,” according to the Mayor of Richmond, Gayle McLaughlin.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, Chevron’s (formally Texaco’s) operations have resulted in a devastating human and environmental tragedy. Contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface streams has resulted in elevated rates for cancer, birth defects, and serious illnesses for the indigenous and farming communities in the region. Instead of taking responsibility for the assets and liabilities it obtained when it bought Texaco, Chevron claims that a cleanup Texaco carried out absolves Chevron of all liability and responsibility, even though evidence shows that the remediation was a “sham.”  Ecuadorians continue to suffer the consequences of Chevron’s irresponsible practices, and continue in their legal fight against the company.

Australia

In Western Australia, Chevron and its partners plan to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in the Kimberly at James Price Point to process natural gas from an offshore field. The Kimberley is one of the world’s last great natural and indigenous cultural regions, home to many Aboriginal communities. Indigenous community members oppose the Chevron project, declaring “We do not consent to the development of a LNG precinct on our land. As native title claimants our views opinions and desires regarding our land and culture have not been represented.” Construction of the Chevron LNG processing facility would increase greenhouse gas emissions, threaten the Kimberley Humpback whale and Flatback Sea Turtle populations, result in the clearing of around 2,400 hectares of woodlands, and necessitate blasting and dredging of reefs and seabeds for port construction and maintenance.

It is long past time for Chevron to change its practices in the countries where it operates. This company must listen to the voices of local and indigenous communities who daily face the harms this oil giant continues to inflict. If it doesn’t listen, we’ll only get louder and more determined.