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Greenpeace Press Release KODAIKANAL, India, 11 April 2001 -- Two Greenpeace activists were accosted by security guards and officers armed with sticks and knives, from Anglodutch MNC Unilever’s Indian subsidiary Hindustan Lever,in Kodaikanal, India. The Greenpeace activists were on a sampling mission on the forest lands beyond HLL’s controversial mercury thermometer factory. The 100 percent export-oriented factory was closed in March after Greenpeace and community activists exposed its dangerous and environmentally irresponsible practices of dumping mercury wastes in public places. An officer of the forest department, who escorted the Greenpeace activists after the activists were threatened by the company a day earlier, has filed charges of trespass against the 17 Hindustan Lever staff. "Such criminal intimidation is unbelievable, especially considering that it comes from a multinational that claims to be environmentally and socially responsible," said Eco Matser of Greenpeace Netherland’s toxics campaign. Matser, one of the two activists accosted by Lever’s armed goons, was in Kodaikanal to investigate the extent of mercury pollution from the factory. On March 7, residents of Kodaikanal and community activists exposed Hindustan Lever’s 5.3 ton mercury waste dumpsite in a crowded part of the beautiful Indian hill station. The company, which denied responsibility for the toxic dump later, admitted that the wastes originated from the factory. In an attempt to appear responsible, the company invited NGOs and citizens to inspect its factory and promised transparency and cooperation. "Lever stands exposed that behind all its claims to environmental and social responsibility lies a criminal multinational company that will not hesitate to use violence when it chooses to," said Manu Gopalan, campaigner for Greenpeace in India who was also part of the Greenpeace team threatened by Hindustan Lever’s staff. According to reports from factory workers, over the
last month, Hindustan Lever has engaged in clandestine operations to dig
and recover wastes buried in illegal dumpsites within the factory premises.
Greenpeace has evidence that the exhuming operations of potentially mercury-
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