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Sakhalin II Update:
The Project and Russia's People

The Sakhalin II project has been met by serious opposition from Sakhalin's indigenous peoples. Their right to decide the fate of their traditional lands has been largely ignored and the compensation provided to them has been insufficient. This has sparked several protest actions, closing roads to oil and gas projects on Sakhalin, by the indigenous peoples and their allies in January and June 2005. Residents of the Korsakov region in the south of the island have also made numerous serious grievances against Sakhalin II's project operator and its contractors, with little satisfaction, and continued lack of transparency in the project's development.

Sakhalin II is operated by the Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary SEIC (non-controlling interest in which is held by Mitsui and Mitsubishi). Ian Craig is the CEO of SEIC.

Read about:

1) Sakhalin Indigenous People Blockade Sakhalin I and II (2005)

2) A Farmer's Protest (2004)

3) Pipeline Construction Spoils Infrastructure of the City of Korsakov (ongoing)

4) More News

Sakhalin Indigenous People Blockade Sakhalin I and II

From January 20-24, 2005, over 200 members of Sakhalin Island’s Nivkh, Uilta, Nanai and Evenk peoples endured minus 30 degree Celsius temperature to blockade the Sakhalin I and II projects. They protested against these projects’ impacts on their native fisheries, reindeer pastures and overall livelihoods, demanding an independent cultural impact assessment and a development fund for Sakhalin’s indigenous peoples.

Read the letter to EBRD President Lemierre from RAIPON (the Russian Assoc. of Indigenous Peoples of the North) Jan. 21^st, 2005

Read the latest NGO letter to EBRD President Lemierre and other banks Feb. 1^st, 2005

Read a previous NGO letter to EBRD President Lemierre and other banks Dec. 28^th, 2004

Oil Giants ignore Indigenous People’s protest action; Clash with labourers suspends protest January 27, 2005 The Sakhalin Times

Sakhalin Natives Protest Industrial Invasion January 21, 2005 Vladivostok News

Indigenous Poeple to Protest Against Oil and Gas Projects December 6-10, 2004 The Sakhalin Independent

Related Article: National Minorities Demand Great Money; Sakhalin Aborigines are Against Foreign Oil Companies January 21, 2005 Kommersant Daily

A Farmer's Protest

A Sakhalin Island farmer, whose house was burned, blockaded a road used by Shell/SEIC in autumn 2004, saying that he was not compensated for land taken by Shell/Sakhalin Energy.

• the written description [Word Document] of the farmer's protest
• a photo album of the protest
• Read the "Free Sakhalin" news article (in Russian [Word Document])
• Read the "Gazette" news article (Word document in Russian [Word Document])

Pipeline Construction Spoils Infrastructure of the City of Korsakov

Report on Korsakov Documents Infrastructure Destruction December 2004 The Korsakov-based community organization Knowledge Is Strength has documented a number of very serious negative impacts to the water, sewage, housing, medical and transportation infrastructure of Korsakov region, the site of the Sakhalin II Liquid Natural Gas plant. The original in Russian on the Sakhalin Environment Watch website.

Sakhalin II Pipeline Soils Water in Korsakov, Russia November 12, 2004 (Vladivostok News, Russia) - Construction of a pipeline for the Sakhalin II project near the town of Korsakov threatens to disrupt water and heat supply to the city, since water reservoirs located near the pipeline route have been contaminated with construction site runoff.

More News

A Sakhalin Mayor Says Shell Unit Offered Cash Payment Oct. 27, 2005 (Dow Jones Newswire) - Russia's scandal-plagued Sakhalin II oil and gas project is under consideration for backing by the ECGD, US Exim and JBIC.

Sakhalin Oil Development Leaves Locals Behind April 18, 2005

Russian Island's Residents Decry Oil Development April 18, 2005

Shell/SEIC Declines Dialogue [Word Doc] June 14, 2004 See listing of events at which Shell/SEIC refused meaningful dialogue.

For more information, contact the ECA Watch Facilitator.

ECA Watch Campaign Member Links:

Sakhalin Environment Watch, Dmitry Lisitsyn- www.sakhalin.environment.ru/en/
Pacific Environment, Doug Norlen - www.pacificenvironment.org
CEE Bankwatch Network, Petr Hlobil - www.bankwatch.org
Friends of the Earth - Japan, Naomi Kanzaki - www.foejapan.org