URGENT
December 10th 2004
India Resource Center
Ref:  http://www.indiaresource.org/action/faxcoke.php

TAKE ACTION NOW! Fax the CEO of Coca-Cola and join the growing community resistance in India in demanding that Coca-Cola STOP Destroying Lives, Livelihoods and Communities in India and Internationally.

On November 24, a peaceful march of over 1,000 community members in Mehdiganj rallying against Coca-Cola's crimes in India was violently attacked. In a disturbing trend, we are witnessing more and more violence directed against communities who have organized themselves against Coca-Cola's crimes in India.

Coca-Cola in India is Guilty of:
Causing Severe Water Shortages for Communities Across India
Polluting Groundwater and Soil Around its Bottling Facilities
Distributing its Toxic Waste as "Fertilizer" to Farmers
Selling Drinks with Extremely High Levels of Pesticides

Communities in India need the critical support of the international community right now to pressure Coca-Cola to do the right thing.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Send the fax below to the CEO of Coca-Cola and join the communities in India in holding Coca-Cola accountable!

Please note that only India Resource Center receives your email address and India Resource Center does not sell or share the names, emails or personal data of its users.

(This draft fax as below can be faxed directly from:  http://www.indiaresource.org/action/faxcoke.php )

COCA-COLA:
DESTROYING LIVES, LIVELIHOODS AND COMMUNITIES

UNTHINKABLE, UNDRINKABLE!

To
E. Neville Isdell
Chairman, Board of Directors and CEO
The Coca-Cola Company
1 Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta, GA 30313
USA

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Subject: Stop Destroying Lives, Livelihoods and Communities in India!

Text: E. Neville Isdell
Chairman, Board of Directors and CEO
The Coca-Cola Company
1 Coca-Cola Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30313
USA

Mr. Isdell,

I am writing to express my outrage over Coca-Cola's reckless bottling operations in India. As you know, a pattern has emerged as a result of Coca-Cola's bottling operations in India.
-- Communities around Coca-Cola's bottling plants are experiencing severe water shortages;
-- The groundwater and soil around Coca-Cola's bottling plants have been polluted;
-- Coca-Cola has distributed solid waste containing cadmium and lead, effectively toxic waste, to farmers in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh;
-- Coca-Cola products in the Indian market contain extremely high levels of pesticides
-- Peaceful demonstrations against Coca-Cola facilities are increasingly being met with violence

Coca-Cola's indiscriminate practices in India are creating severe hardships for thousands of people across India, including loss of livelihood, a public health crisis, loss of food security and extreme poverty for many. The long term implications of exposure to the toxic waste as well as pesticides remains unknown.

Coca-Cola MUST act now to address these serious concerns. I am joining with the communities in India in demanding that Coca-Cola:

1. Inform the District Magistrate in Varanasi to immediately drop all charges against the marchers
2. Not reopen its bottling plant in Plachimada, Kerala and shut down the bottling plants in Mehdiganj, Ballia and Kala Dera immediately
3. Compensate community members affected as a result of water shortages and pollution
4. Clean up the groundwater and soil contamination
5. Set up a fund to re-train and re-locate workers laid off from bottling plants as a result of the bottling plant shutdowns
6. Ensure that community led protests against Coca-Cola are not met with violence
7. Admit liability for the long-term impacts from the exposure to toxic waste distributed by Coca-Cola and pesticides found in Coca-Cola products

Sincerely,