BHOPAL, India, Jan 16, Reuter: Poets from more than a dozen countries have asked the U.S. Government to confiscate the assets of the Union Carbide Corp to provide compensation for the victims of the Bhopal Gas Disaster.
Organizers of an International Poetry Festival in Bhopal said on Monday that 23 poets signed a letter making the demand.
More than 3,300 people have died from the 1984 Bhopal disaster in which poisonous gas spewed from a Union Carbide Pesticide plant.
The poets said in a letter to the White House that confiscation of Connecticut based Union Carbide’s assets would ensure speedy compensation for the victims of the world’s worst industrial accident.
An Indian Government suit seeking three billion dollars in compensation from Union Carbide has resulted so far only in an order for 290 million dollars in interim compensation, against which Union Carbide is appealing.
The festival organizers said that among the signatories were Stephen Spender of Britain, Judith Rodriquez of Australia, Henrik Norbrandt of Denmark, Ghana’s Kofi Awoonorand Gabriel Okara of Nigeria.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 20, 1989
