환경보건시민센터 보도자료 2023년 5월8일자

17개국 환경 및 산업 보건 활동가 120명,  

태국 방콕의 한국대사관 앞에서 

LG화학 인도 참사 해결 촉구 기자회견 열어

 2023년 5월8일 오후1시반

태국 방콕 시내의 주태국 한국대관사앞에 버스 2대가 멈췄다. 버스애서 내린120여명의 사람들 대사관앞에 섰다. 이들중 일부는 가슴이나 등에 인도사람의 사진이 찍힌 천을 부착했다. 다른 사람들은 큰 현수막을 펼쳤는데 “LG killed 15 Indians”, “ANOTHER BHOPAL” 라고 적혔다. 한사람이 양손으로 펼쳐든 손펼침막도 곳곳에서 보였다.

이들은 5월 7일부터 10일까지 방콕에서 열리는 2023 아시아직업환경피해자대회에 참석한 17여개 아시아 나라에서 온 산재나 환경피해자, 운동가, 전문가 들이었다. 이들의 국적은 인도, 파키스탄, 수리랑카, 방글라데시, 태국, 베트남, 라오스, 캄보디아, 말레이시아, 인도네시아, 필리핀, 홍콩, 대만, 한국, 일본, 사모아 그리고 미국 등 17개 나라로 다양했다.

이들 가슴의 사진은 2020년5월7일 인도 중동부 해안도시 비샤카파트남에 있는 엘지화학에서 발생한 스타이렌 가스누출로 사망한 15명의 주민들이었다.

이들이 대사관앞에 모이자, 갑자기 사이렌 소리가 울렸고 하얀연기가 피어올랐다. 그러자 서있던 사람들이 고통스런 신음소리를 내며 픽픽 쓰러지기 시작했다. 사람들 사이사이엔 커다란 사진 천이 놓였는데 거품을 내뿜으며 죽어간 동물과 사람들이었다.

주태국 한국대사관앞 인도와 차도 곳곳에 쓰러진 사람들은 38도의 기온에 달궈진 아스팔트 열기로 고통을 호소했는데, 이는 3년전 인도참사로 죽어간 주민들의 고통을 표현하는 듯 했다.

그렇게 20여분간 엘지인도참사를 재현한 사람들은 하나둘 일어났고 구호를 외치기 시작했다. ”LG는 즉각 배상하라“, ”LG는 인도피해 외면말라“, ”LG는 인도참사 책임져라“, ”다시는 되풀이되지 말아야할 LG인도참사“ 등의 구호였는데 영어, 태국어, 텔루가어(인도현지어)와 한글 4개 언어로 반복됐다.

마지막으로 인도에서온 피해자 두명이 태국노동조합 대표와 함께 한국대사관 직원에게 항의서한을 전달했다. 수신자는 LG화학 CEO 신학철과 대한민국 대통령 윤석열이었다.

내용문의 : 환경보건시민센터 최예용 소장 010-3458-7488(태국)

환경보건시민센터 김영환 연구위원 010-8205-0987

Two buses stopped in front of the Korean Embassy in Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand. About 120 people who got off the bus stood in front of the embassy. Some of them attached cloth with Indian photographs to their chests or backs. Others opened large banners, writing "LG Killed 15 Indians" and "ANOTHER BHOPAL." The spread of hands that one person spread out with both hands was also seen everywhere. They were industrial accidents, environmental victims, activists and experts from 17 Asian countries who attended the 2023 Asian Occupational Environment Victims Conference in Bangkok from May 7 to 10. Their nationalities varied to 17 countries, including India, Pakistan, Suriranca, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Samoa and the United States. Photos of these chests showed 15 residents killed in a styrene gas leak at LG Chem in the Indian central coastal city of Bishakapatnam on May 7, 2020. When they gathered in front of the embassy, a siren suddenly rang and white smoke rose. Then the people standing began to faint with a painful groan. There was a large photographic cloth between the people, animals and people who died spewing bubbles. People who collapsed on sidewalks and roads in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand complained of suffering from asphalt heat heated by temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius, which seemed to express the pain of residents who died in the Indian disaster three years ago. Those who recreated the LG India disaster for about 20 minutes woke up one by one and started shouting slogans. It was slogans such as "LG should compensate immediately," "LG should not turn a blind eye to humanitarian damage," "LG should be responsible for humanitarian disasters," and "LG Indian disaster that should never be repeated again," but it was repeated in four languages: English, Thai, Teluga (Indian local language). Finally, two victims from India, along with representatives of the Thai labor union, delivered a letter of complaint to the Korean Embassy staff. The recipients were LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-chul and South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol. 

<2023년 5월 8일, 태국 방콕의 한국대사관 앞에서 아시아 17개국 환경 및 산업보건 활동가 120여명이 LG화학 인도 공장 스타이렌 가스누출 참사 3주기를 맞아 한국정부와 LG화학에 해결을 촉구하는 기자회견과 퍼포먼스를 벌였다> 

<한국정부와 LG화학에 보내는 항의서한을 한국대사관에 전달하는 태국 노조 대표와 LG화학 인도 피해자들>

[항의서한 전문]

TO:

YOON Suk-Yeol President of Republic of Korean,

SHIN Hak-Cheol CEO of LG CHEM

Title:

Letter on the issue of LG CHEM POLYMERS INDIA disaster happened on May 7 2020 in Visakhapatnam, India

Dear Sir/Madam:

I’m G Srinivas Rao, the Secretary of LG POLYMERS GAS VICTIMS ASSOCIATION, writing this letter on behalf of about 460 victim members and other victims together with my victim colleague C Kiran Kumar.

Today, May 8 2023, I’m here to join a press conference on the issue of LG disaster in front of Korean Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand together with more than 120 members joined the International conference, Asian Network Right of Occupational and Environmental Victims, which is unique networking for nearly 30 years for the sake of occupational and environmental victims in Asia including more than 16 Asian countries such as Thai, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Hongkong, China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea and Japan and so on.

We are here to inform the LG CHEM India disaster to international society and let them know the real face of LG CHEM which is known as a Korean global chemical company.

First of all, Here I show you the faces of 15 Indian residents who were killed by the LG Chem disasters from a 6-year-old girl and a student of medical university to 70es senior and some pictures of people and animals… 

None of the victim nor the deceased got any apology and compensation from LG CHEM so far. There are hundreds who has been hospitalized and many of them are suffering till now with different chronic effects.

2ndly I would like to share words from 2 statements on this tragic disaster.

There is a concern statement on 14 May 2020, by Mr. Baskut Tuncak as a Special Rapporteur of United Nation’s Human Rights office of the high commissioner (https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2020/05/chemical-industry-must-step-human-rights-prevent-more-bhopal-disasters-un)

“I am concerned about ensuring that the victims of exposure who develop diseases or disabilities later in life are provided an effective remedy,” Tuncak said. “I urge Indian and South Korean authorities, and the businesses implicated, to avoid the same mistakes and abuse of judicial procedures that have denied justice to the victims of the Bhopal disaster, who are still suffering to this day.”

“I offer my deepest condolences to the victims of this latest toxic gas leak. It is yet another preventable disaster within the chemical industry that has caused horrific suffering among innocent workers and local communities in India and is yet another reminder that around the world, mini-Bhopal chemical disasters continue to unfold with shocking regularity,” the independent expert said.

Here is an ANROEV statement on 8 May 2020, Asian Network for the Rights Of Occupational and Environmental Victims is a coalition of victims’ groups, trade unions and other labor and environmental groups across Asia, all committed to the rights of Victims and for overall improvement of health and safety at the workplace and the living environment.

We have not forgotten Bhopal gas tragedy of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leak incident on the early morning of 3rd December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, one of the world's worst industrial disaster resulting over 500,000 people exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and official immediate death toll was 2,259. A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries.

Following several Civil and Criminal Courts in US and back home in Indian multiple courts on multiple occasion. Still the culprit company and Officials were not prosecuted, victims were not well compensated and sites still remains contaminated. People are still suffering since 35 years with unknown period of yet to be suffered.

Yet another tragedy occurred , when styrene leaked from the Korean-owned LG Polymers plant in India during the early hours of Thursday, on the 7th May 2020, when families in the surrounding villages were asleep. This chemical factory located into the village called Vizag, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in southern India has killed at least ten people and led to thousands being taken to hospital, amid fears that the death toll could climb higher.

Styrene is derivative of benzene and is a colorless oily liquid. Health effects of styrene include irritation of the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract. Long exposure can also lead to cancer. Styrene is Group 2A Carcinogen by IARC under the WHO.

These kind of repeated tragedies should be stopped due to negligence of the LG Chemicals, and victims should be immediately and fully compensated and survivor should be fully treated and rehabilitated with due diligence. Investigation of the disaster and bio-monitoring of all those exposed should be immediately done without any further delay. Due diligence must be implemented to ensure workplaces are safe after the lockdown measures. There must be stronger regulatory and workplace safety systems in place.

As we continue to grapple of double tragedy of Gas Leak and ongoing COVID pandemic, we continue to fight for a decent work, safe workplace and environment. We, members of the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV) will continue to "Remember the Dead, and Fight for the Living".

Our demands:
- Immediately provide relief and financial compensation and support to victims family and those injured
- Long-term health support for all the victims and exposed population
- Thorough and impartial investigation on the reason for the gas leak
- Allow and include Civil Society and Victims representatives to take part in the investigation
- Hold LG Chemicals and those responsible for the gas leak accountable
- Strengthen regulatory and workplace safety systems

We are here for the memory of all victims who were killed 3 years ago by the toxic gas leakage of LG CHEM in Visakhapatnam India. Now we have some questions to you, LG Chem, Korean government and Korean congress:

·          What if this kind of disaster happened in Korea?

·          You do not apology the victims and do no compensate at all, do you?

·          Korean police and prosecutor do nothing for the responsible people, do you?

·          Korean lawmakers do not try to make upgraded bills not to make that kind of problem happened again, do you? 

We do think this is an obvious “double standard” which the US company Union Carbide in Bhopal showed in 1984. That face of LG Chem with “double standard“ is laughing at so called corporate’s responsibility in other words ESG.

Now we ask you LG CHEM:

SHIN Hak-Cheol, CEO of LG Chem, to come to Visakhapatnam and do apology to all the victims and show your responsibility.

ANREOV members are together with LG Chem Indian victims and support them because we know this kind of disasters could happened any places by any multinational chemical related companies.

We do politely ask Korean Embassy in BKK to deliver this message to Korean government and LG CHEM in Korea.

Sincerely

May 8 2023