http://jurist.org/paperchase/2010/06/rights-commission-orders-closure-of-guatemala-gold-mine.phpTuesday, June 08, 2010
Sarah Miley at 9:49 AM ET
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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Monday ordered Goldcorp, one of the world's largest gold producers, to shut down the company's Marlin mine in Guatemala, pending an investigation into human rights abuses and environmental violations . The commission, part of the DC-based Organization of American States (OAS) , is conducting an investigation into whether the Guatemalan government allowed the Canada-based gold producer to open the mine without the consent of the local Mayan communities. The commission also held that precautionary measures were necessary because the "environmental and hydrological impact area would encompass the territories of at least 18 communities of the Maya people." In a report sent to the commission last week, the government claimed that no human rights violations had occurred against the indigenous residents, and no contamination has resulted from the mine's operation. The commission's order is supposed to be binding on member states of the OAS, but local reports hold that Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom opposes closing the Marlin mine . Goldcorp stated that it has not yet received an official statement from the government on how it will respond to the ruling.
US mining companies have also been facing accusations of human rights abuses and environmental hazard creation. In August, an indigenous tribe in Indonesia filed a $30 million lawsuit against a subsidiary of US mining company Freeport-McRoRan Copper & Gold for numerous environmental and human rights violations. The Amungme people are suing PT Freeport for damages to their ancestral lands in the Papua province, claiming that they are the rightful owners of the 2.6 million hectares on which the mine is located because the 1967 contract between the Indonesian government and Freeport was executed without their approval. The plaintiffs also allege that they were promised an annual fee of $1 million that was never received. The South Jakarta District Court appointed a judge to seek a mediated settlement between the parties.
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