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Lawyers See a Final Victory (r)



ASIA WEEK
Week of September 19, 1997
Lawyers See a Final Victory
Activist lawyers in the U.S. are digging in for the long haul. One of the 
attorneys involved in the two American lawsuits against Unocal, the U.S. 
company building the controversial pipeline through Myanmar into Thailand, 
says her clients have a good chance of beating the company. "And if we don't 
win this time, someone is sure to win eventually." Unocal denies that it uses 
forced labor, or violates worker's rights. It is working with Total, the 
French firm, and the Myanmar government on the $1.2 billion project .
Legal activists plan to bring more such cases. Already underway is a suit 
against Royal Dutch Petroleum for its activities in Nigeria. The lawyers say 
their initial suits will establish the limits of the 1789 Alien Tort Claims 
Act they say set responsibilities for U.S. corporate behavior overseas.