아아~보팔의 계원분들께 알립니다~~^^
인도법원이 인도정부가 유니언카바이드사로부터 받은 보상금 4억7천만달러(약 5조원-많다고 생각하시나요? 이것을 아래 기사의 희생자 수 70만명으로 나누면 일인당 보상금은 714만원입니다)을 희생자들에게 분배하도록 하는 결정을 내렸습니다.
이제까지 희생자들의 분류에 관한 관료적인 논쟁으로 보상금은 인도중앙은행에 보관되어 있었습니다.
이제라도 희생자들에게 제대로 돌아갔으면 하는 바램입니다.
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어제, 인도의 대법원이 이제까지 법적인 논쟁으로 인해 미뤄져왔고 마땅히 보팔희생자들에게 돌아가야 할 보상금을 분배해주도록 인도정부에게 지시했다 고 변호사는 말했다.
환경단체 그린피스는 1984년 사고 이후로 독성노출관련 질병으로 2만명이 죽었고, 약 52만명이 독성가스에 노출되었으며, 12만명이 만성병을 가지고 있다고 말한다.
현재는 다우케미컬에 속해있는 유니언 카바이드는
주민들에게 4억7천만 달러를 보상금으로 지급했다. 그러나 아주 일부만이 희생자들에게 돌아갔을 뿐이었다.
희생자들은 2002년 3월 인도의 대법원에서 인도중앙은행에 보관되어있는 보상금 분배를 요구하는 진술을 했었습니다.
보상금 전액 지급은 희생자들의 분류에 관한 관료적인 논쟁으로 인해 계속 연기되었습니다.
다우케미컬의 대변인은 올해 초 보팔의 사고와 자신들은 아무런 관련이 없으며, 유니언카바이드사와 희생자들간의 처리는 끝난 것으로 생각한다고 밝혔다.
Mon Jul 19, 2004 11:38 AM ET
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Supreme Court ordered the government on Monday to distribute millions of dollars in compensation still due to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy which had been delayed due to legal wrangles, lawyers said.
In December 1984, tons of a toxic gas leaked from an Indian pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide in the central Indian city of Bhopal, killing 3,800 people almost immediately. Thousands more were injured.
Environmental group Greenpeace says that, since then, over 20,000 people have died from exposure-related illnesses, and of the approximately 520,000 people exposed to the poisonous gas, some 120,000 people remain chronically ill.
Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical Co., paid $470 million in compensation to residents in 1989, but only some of that amount has been distributed, say lawyers for the victims.
India’s top court has ordered the government to pay the remaining 15.03 billion rupees ($325.5 million) due to victims of the tragedy, the lawyers said.
With the value of the Indian rupee having fallen sharply against the dollar in the last 15 years, the rupee value of the dollar compensation has risen significantly.
The gas victims had filed a plea in March 2002 with India’s top court for the release of the rest of the compensation that was deposited with India’s central bank.
“It is a positive development as the victims’ voices have been heard. It is a balm to the wounds,” Srinivasan Muralidhar, a Supreme Court lawyer for 36 gas victims, told Reuters after the verdict.
The payment of the full compensation was delayed because of bureaucratic wrangling over the categorization of victims.
The Indian government continues to pursue criminal charges against former Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson, who is now retired in New York state.
The victims continue to seek monetary damages from Dow Chemical.
A spokeswoman for Dow Chemical said earlier this year it had no involvement in the Bhopal tragedy and considered the original settlement between Union Carbide and victims to be final.
An Indian investigation found that the deadly methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked into the air while workers of the company were cleaning a tank.
Many victims continue to suffer shortness of breath and a burning sensation in their chest and throats.
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?Copyright Reuters 2004. All rights reserved.
