ExxonMobil Case Involving Indonesia Killings Can Move Forward

[WSJ_law_blog]

Associated PressIndonesian soldiers patrol at Exxon Mobil Oil Indonesia in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia, May 18, 2003.ExxonMobil is in some hot water over its Indonesia operations. In 2001, eleven Indonesian villagers filed a suit against the company claiming that it’s liable for alleged killings, torture, rape and kidnappings committed by Indonesian soldiers guarding a natural-gas plant in the Aceh province.

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer allowed the case to move forward, ruling that there was evidence that the soldiers committed the alleged atrocities and that an ExxonMobil subsidiary in Indonesia had paid for the military security forces. Here’s the opinion, and here’s the WSJ report.

ExxonMobil said there was insufficient evidence that its security forces committed the alleged atrocities. Even if such evidence did exist, ExxonMobil shouldn’t be liable for the military’s conduct.