India: The "Enron project" in Maharashtra: protests suppressed in the name of development

Amnesty International believes that the right of individuals to peacefully protest against the construction of a power plant by the Dabhol Power Company (DPC) in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra is being curtailed. The DPC is a joint venture between three US-based multinational corporations. In recent months protestors and activists, many of them women, have been subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest, preventive detention under the ordinary criminal law and ill-treatment. Human rights defenders organising the protests have been targeted and their freedom of movement has been curtailed. Amnesty International is calling on the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra to ensure the right of human rights defenders throughout India to peacefully protest without fear of ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, preventive detention or other forms of harassment. The organization is also calling on the three multinational corporations to ensure that any security staff subcontracted to, seconded to or employed by the company, are trained in human rights and are fully accounable for their actions.