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3 officials from South Korean steel company taken hostage in eastern India
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 11 - 05 - 2007

Three Indian officials working for a
South Korean steel company were taken hostage Friday by
activists opposed to the company's plan to build a plant in
eastern India which they said would displace thousands of
people, police said.
The Posco officials had traveled to the village of
Gobindapur in the eastern state of Orissa to meet with
farmers about acquiring land when they were kidnapped,
additional superintendent of police R.N. Patra said, according to AP.
One of the three officials has been released but the other
two are still being held, he said. South Korea based-Posco
is the word's third largest steel-maker.
Abhay Sahu, the president of an activist group dedicated
to fighting the Posco project, told the Press Trust of
India news agency the hostages would not be released until
the company pledged not to develop the site.
However, Patra said Posco official Rosalyn Parida had been
released.
Police identified the other two as Debasish Swain, an
executive, and Choudry Prapap Das, a public relations
officer.
Posco officials could not immediately be reached for
comment.
Posco's steel plant _ which would be the largest single
foreign investment in India _ was approved by the Indian
government last year as a special economic zone, making it
eligible for tax breaks and exempt from some government
duties.
Posco has said it will invest about US$10.8 billion (¤8.01
billion) to build the plant and develop the area as a
special economic zone, which will also allow other
export-oriented activities.
Many residents are strongly opposed to the project because
they say it would require the displacement of about 20,000
people.
Patra said the Posco officials had been warned by
residents not to enter their villages without permission,
but the three did not heed the warning.
The development of special economic zones in India have
sparked fierce protests in recent months.
Farmers in the eastern state of West Bengal, where several
special economic zones are planned, held violent
demonstrations accusing the government of displacing them
without proper compensation. Last month, the Indian
government lifted a three-month freeze on establishing
special economic zones.
-- SPA


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