A Milestone For Human Rights

In the mid-1990s, reports emerged out of Burma that villagers in the remote Yadana region had been forced by the military to clear jungle for the construction of a $1.2 billion natural gas pipeline. The allegations were horrendous: To round up workers for the project, the Burmese military had resorted to torture, rape, and murder to enslave villagers, even throwing one woman's baby in a fire after killing her husband. Before long, U.S. human rights groups had filed suit against Unocal Corp. (UCL ), based in El Segundo, Calif., one of the four pipeline partners, on behalf of 15 unnamed Burmese villagers.

Now, after years of courtroom sparring, Unocal has quietly agreed to settle the suits, one filed in California state court and another in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Although a court gag order has kept many details under wraps so far, insiders say that Unocal will pay about $30 million in damages to settle the cases. The award will include money for the 15 plaintiffs and for a fund to improve living conditions, health care, and education in the pipeline region. Unocal has declined further comment, although it has repeatedly denied any involvement in the abuses. Nevertheless, the company has acknowledged that the Burmese military, which has ruled the nation since it deposed the elected President in a 1988 coup, abused some workers.