MEDIA ADVISORY for Sunday, November 26th: Thanksgiving Event & Press Conference with Diane Wilson, four weeks into her Global Hunger Strike against Formosa Plastics Group

Goldman Environmental Prize recipient Diane Wilson will mark nearly one month of her Global Hunger Strike to demand justice for the Vietnamese communities whose livelihoods were affected by the environmental disaster caused by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Plant, a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group.

Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm CST
Location: 201 Formosa Dr., Point Comfort, TX 77978
– in front of the Formosa Plastics Group factory

Program:

Press Conference following salutes to the United States of America and the Republic of Vietnam, when Diane Wilson will speak about her indefinite hunger strike and 24/7 encampment in front of Gate 3 of the Formosa plant in Point Comfort, Texas. Choirs will perform songs of thanks for Diane’s sacrifice, dancing and celebrating the strength of our community.

Background:

In 2016, the Formosa plant in Ha Tinh, Vietnam, released a large amount of toxic chemicals into the sea, causing severe damage to marine life and devastating the lives of over 179,000 residents. To this day, many victims have received no compensation despite the $500 million paid directly to the Vietnamese government by Formosa Plastics. Many who have covered the issue, protested, or pursued legal action have been unlawfully detained, and nearly 8,000 victims have filed lawsuits.

At 75 years old, Diane Wilson has undertaken this drastic hunger strike to compel Formosa Plastics to acknowledge its responsibility for the severe environmental disaster in Vietnam, the worst in its history. Her demands include compensation for the victims, a thorough cleanup of the polluted areas, an independent study to prevent a recurrence, and the release of 24 individuals imprisoned for advocating on behalf of the victims.

Event Organizers:

Justice For Formosa Victims (JFFV) and the International Monitor Formosa Alliance (IMFA), together with the support of Rise St. James and the Vietnamese American of Greater Houston, as well as numerous Vietnamese American leaders in Texas and Louisiana, including the Hon Viet Choir, the Anh Thu Thien Nguyen Choir, the Nguyen Thu Thuy Choir, and many others.