Sakhalin's Indigenous Peoples: Back to the Blockade

 Last January, the Nivkh, Uilta and Evenki peoples of Sakhalin Island, Russia withstood sub-freezing temperatures to blockade construction sites of Shell and ExxonMobil’s oil projects for nearly a week. They took this action because after years of trying to negotiate with these oil giants, the companies were largely ignoring their concerns. Five months later, and after thousands of letters were sent to these companies from all over the world, Shell still will not budge in response to the demands of Sakhalin’s indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) is serving as financial advisor to this project, even though the project violates the Equator Principles on environmental responsibility, to which the bank is a signatory.  As a result, the people of Sakhalin are blockading again. As you receive this, hundreds of Sakhalin’s indigenous peoples are once again putting their bodies on the line to stop work on these projects. The weather is warmer this time, but the conditions for Sakhalin Islanders haven’t changed. The companies still have not agreed to the indigenous peoples’ demand for an independent cultural impact assessment and a compensation fund. They are still polluting Sakhalin’s waters and destroying key salmon and fisheries habitat. This massive industrial project continues to drastically disrupt life on the island.  You can see up to the minute reports from these protests by clicking here.  The people of Sakhalin are asking for your help. This week the Board and Shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell gathered for their Annual General Meeting in London. At the same time, protesters around the world are reminding them of the environmental and social costs of their drilling for oil and gas. Protests against Shell and CSFB are occurring not only on Sakhalin, but also in London, Moscow, and New York City. You can join these protests by sending the letter below to the leaders of Shell, Credit Suisse First Boston, and the Governor of Sakhalin. Shell’s Sakhalin II project is the largest integrated oil and gas project being constructed in the world. It is plagued with environmental and social problems. These include threats to the critically endangered Western Pacific Gray Whale, damage to the island’s infrastructure from the project’s construction, and a "production sharing agreement" between the companies and the Russian government that has left the people of Russia with very little of the projects’ economic benefits. Even the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development declared Shell’s Environmental Impact Assessment for the Sakhalin-2 project "unfit for purpose" (bank-speak for lousy). The current actions are being organized in part by the Russian Association of Indigenous Minority Peoples of the North (RAIPON), a national organization that represents over 30 indigenous groups across Russia. It is also supported by Russia’s Green Party and the Liberal Democratic Party, as well as by Pacific Environment, Sakhalin Environment Watch, Rainforest Action Network, Global Response, Friends of the Earth, CEE Bankwatch, and others.  Let Royal Dutch/Shell, CSFB, and the Sakhalin Governor know that the whole world watches! You can take action by clicking here.