Amnesty International has attacked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for rejecting the Indian Olympic Associations' call to terminate Dow Chemicals' sponsorship deal for the upcoming London Olympics because of its links with the Bhopal gas tragedy.
“It is extremely disappointing that the Olympic organisers continue to side with Dow Chemical Company while refusing to listen to legitimate concerns over the company's sponsorship of the London games,'' it said in a statement.
The human rights body said it was “shocking” that the IOC believed Dow was committed to “good corporate governance.”
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“It is shocking when you consider all the facts and that the company refuses liability for a corporate disaster the scale of Bhopal, creating a toxic legacy for London 2012,” said Seema Joshi, Amnesty's Head of Business and Human Rights.
Calling the IOC's approach “one-sided,” she said: “London Olympic Organisers have failed to make a fair assessment of the issues surrounding Dow's responsibility to the victims of Bhopal. They have repeatedly refused our requests to a meeting.”