On Oct. 31, Goldman Environmental Prize winners Diane Wilson, Sharon Lavigne, and members of the International Monitor Formosa Alliance (IMFA) are embarking on a Global Hunger Strike and hosting a press conference. Their mission is to demand justice for the Vietnamese communities affected by the environmental catastrophe caused by the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Plant, a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group.
This Global Hunger Strike commences with a press conference in front of the Formosa Plastics’ Point Comfort, Texas facility.
Back in 2016, this plant discharged a significant volume of toxic chemicals into the sea, resulting in extensive harm to the marine ecosystems and a severe blow to the lives of more than 179,000 local residents.
Many of these victims have still not received compensation, despite Formosa Plastics having directly paid $500 million to the Vietnamese government. Additionally, numerous individuals who have advocated for the affected communities, protested the situation, or pursued legal action have faced unjust detainment. Currently, nearly 8,000 victims have filed lawsuits seeking restitution.
Diane Wilson, Co-founder of IMFA, underscores the significance of launching this strike on Halloween, recalling, “Many years ago, on this very date, Chairman YZ Wang, the founder of Formosa Plastics in Taiwan, and several Taiwanese reporters celebrated the inauguration of their $3 billion plastic facility in our community. I remember protesting in the parking lot that day. Thirty-five years later, we find ourselves protesting Formosa again, this time in pursuit of justice for the Vietnamese fishermen whose lives were shattered by Formosa’s pollution and their disregard for people, community, and the environment.”
In a letter dispatched to President Biden before his visit to Hanoi, activists urged his administration to acknowledge the absence of restitution for the disaster’s victims. However, the Biden Administration has not yet responded.