02.12.2016 – The Indians from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe call the planned mega-pipeline “Dakota Access”, which is to cross their holy land, the “Black Snake”. From production areas in the US state of North Dakota, oil is to be transported over a distance of 1,880 kilometers to the southern United States. The Sioux members not only see their land rights endangered, they also fear contamination of the drinking water in the Standing Rock reservation. That is why they have been protesting against the project for months. The Indians receive support not only from numerous other indigenous people, but also from environmentalists from all over the world.
Since the 1970s there has not been a wave of protests from indigenous peoples comparable to that against “Dakota Access” in North America. “The building clearly violates the contractual rights of the Indians,” says Johannes Rohr from the Institute for Ecology and Action Ethnology (INFOE). According to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the banks involved have a duty to protect disadvantaged groups so that they can decide for themselves about their country and their development. “Short-term profit interests must not jeopardize such fundamental principles,” continues Rohr.
Bayern LB finances “Dakota Access”
The Dakota Access Pipeline was installed in the midst of farms as seen from 50th Avenue in New Salem, North Dakota. (Photo: Tony Webster / flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The construction of the controversial oil pipeline is being supported with a project loan of up to 2.5 billion US dollars, research by the environmental and human rights organization urgewald shows. Bayerische Landesbank is one of the 17 participating banks. “As one of the banks directly involved, Bayern LB should have carefully examined the situation on site,” criticized urgewald banking expert Regine Richter.
Apparently, however, the bank relied too much on information from the project company that the conflicts could be easily resolved. “As the situation on site is escalating further and further, Bayern LB must now stop all funds and work with the pipeline consortium for a peaceful solution to the conflict,” Richter therefore demands.
In a letter to the 17 banks involved, a total of 420 environmental and human rights NGOs demand that the loan disbursement for the project must be stopped immediately. In addition, they should advocate a construction freeze until the identified problems have been resolved and otherwise withdraw from the existing loan agreements. The NGOs also demand a public statement on the open points from the banks involved. jk
– .
