Subject: [cwj 79] Fw: URGENT: Endorse Letter to Japanese PM Not to Support Iron Ore Imports from Kudremukh National Park, India
From: "Yoichi Kuroda" <kuroda@corpwatch.org>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 18:16:54 -0700
Seq: 79


Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 12:18 PM
Subject: URGENT: Endorse Letter to Japanese PM Not to Support Iron Ore
Imports from Kudremukh National Park, India


> Dear Friends,
>
> The Japanese Prime Minister is starting his visit to India on Sunday
> evening, 20 August 2000.  He is first arriving in the South Indian city of
> Bangalore to start his four day visit, and here he will have a key
business
> meeting with Japanese investors in India.
>
> On learning about this visit we felt it would be a great opportunity to
> draw the Prime Minister's attention to the devastation of the invaluable
> shola forests of Kudremukh National Park in the mountainous Western Ghats,
> due to mining for iron ore, of which Japan is a major importer.  India's
> largest iron ore mining company, the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd.
> (KIOCL), has been mining here for over two decades causing serious damage
> to vast stretches of forests, the rivers they support, wildlife and human
> health and environment.
>
> As the long term mining lease of the company expired last year, work is
> continuing only on the basis of a short lease.  The future of KIOCL is
> entirely reliant on securing further a long mining lease, of 20 years, not
> just in the existing  mined areas, but in new forest areas as well.  There
> is groundswell of opposition to extending the lease.  Even so, the
> Karnataka State and Indian Governments are keen to privatise the company,
> merely for sustaining foreign exchange earnings from this 100% EOU.
> Japanese imports and/or involvement is crucial to the sustenance of the
> company and its privatisation effort.
>
> As this decision will be taken over the next several months, we believe
> that it is an excellent opportunity to focus the attention of the visiting
> Prime Minister to our serious concerns, and hopefully this will ensure a
> withdrawal of Japanese investment.
>
> In this regard, we have been working with Friends of the Earth - Japan,
> over the past several weeks, and Hisako Motoyama of Development Finance
and
> Environment Programme has prepared a letter that we plan to send to the
> Japanese Prime Minister on arrival in Bangalore, India.  The same letter
> will also be released to the Press.
>
> It would be wonderful if this letter was widely endorsed, in demonstrating
> your concern for the wonderful forests and wildlife of Kudremukh National
> Park in the Western Ghats of India.
>
> Please send your endorsements NAME-ORGANISATION-ADDRESS to
> esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in (Address and Tel/Fax details at the end of this email)
> and you may mark a copy to Hisako:  motoyama@foejapan.org
>
> Whilst the deadline to make your endorsments for the Bangalore Release is
> Saturday, 19 August 3 pm (IST), endorsements may be sent till Tuesday, 23
> August.  We will send them to the Japanese Embassy in Delhi to make it
> before the Prime Minister's departure from India on Wednesday.
>
> (For more information on the issue, please visit
> http://www.angelfire.com/journal/nagini/kudremukh.html)
>
>
> Thank you and best regards
>
>
> Leo Saldanha
> Coordinator
> Environment Support Group
> August 18, 2000
>
> PS:  Kindly circulate this appeal widely.  Thank you.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> LETTER TO JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER
>
> August 18, 2000
>
> Mr. Yoshiro Mori
> Prime Minister of Japan
>
> An Appeal Not to Support Imports of Iron Ore Excavated in the Kudremukh
> National Park, India
>
>
> Dear Mr. Mori,
>
> We are very much concerned with the possible extension of mining lease in
> the Kudremukh National Park and the involvement of Japanese corporations
in
> importing iron ore from this area.
>
> The Kudremukh National Park in Karnataka, India, is one of the most
> important world natural heritages.  It forms an important area of the
> Western Ghats forests that are known for rich bio-diversity and invaluable
> ecosystems.  Three major rivers that provide water and critical natural
> resources for local people also originate in this area.
>
> However, the mining operations of the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd
> (KIOCL) has resulted in serious negative impacts on the natural habitats
in
> the Park.  Presently the KIOCL is seeking extension of the mining lease in
> this area for another 20 years and also planning expansion of mining
areas.
>  This will be a great threat to this area that is already seriously
damaged.
>
> For the past several years, Japanese major trading companies and steel
> companies have been importing and buying a million tons of iron ore
> produced in this area annually.  Trading about one thirds of the total
> production of the KIOCL, these companies have supported KIOCL's
destructive
> activities.  Without recognising their environmental responsibilities,
> those companies are still interested in continuing to purchase iron ore
> from this area, if and when the mining lease is extended.
>
> We are aware that without commitment of those Japanese companies to
> purchase the products, the KIOCL's environmentally irresponsible
operations
> are not possible.  We are also aware that support of Japanese public
export
> credit agencies, namely, the Japan Bank of International Cooperation and
> the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, will be critical
> encouragement for trading decisions of the companies.  Thus we strongly
> urge you not to provide public support to those Japanese companies that
are
> going to trade natural resources exploited in environmentally destructive
> manner.  As the two public export credit agencies now have environmental
> policies, we request you to implement them in responsible and meaningful
> manner.
>
> Most respectfully,
>
> Hisako Motoyama
> Development Finance and Environment Programme
> Friends of the Earth - Japan
> 3-17-24-2F, Mejiro, Toshima, Tokyo 71-0031, Japan
> Tel: 03-3951-1081  Fax: 03-3951-1084
> Email: motoyama@foejapan.org
>
> Leo F. Saldanha
> Environment Support Group
> S-#, Rajashree Apartments, 18/57, 1st Main Road
> S. R. K. Gardens, Jayanagar
> Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 004. INDIA
> Telefax: 91-80-6341977
> Fax: 91-80-6723926 (PP)
> Email: esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in
>
>
> Cc:
> Mr. Kiichi Miyazawa
> Minister of Finance
>
> Mr. Takeo Hiranuma
> Minister of International Trade and Investment
>
> Mr. Hirodi Yasuda
> Governor of Japan Bank of International Cooperation
>
>
> ENDORSERS:
>
> People's Forum 2001, Japan
>
> Yoichi Kuroda
> Coordinator, Japan Tropical Forest Action Network
>
> Hiroyuki Tiba
>
> Kimiko Mugishima
>
> Philip Carter
> Environmental Writer, Osaka, Japan
>
> Bittu Sahgal
> Mumbai, India
>
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> WE HAVE MOVED : OUR NEW ADDRESS
>
> Environment Support Group (R)
> S-3, Rajashree Apartments
> 18/57, 1st Main Road
> S. R. K. Gardens
> Jayanagar
> Bannerghatta Road
> Bangalore 560 041. INDIA
> Telefax: 91-80-6341977
> Fax: 91-80-6723926 (PP)
> Email: esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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