Australian
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Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows part of an interview with Bill Turner, CEO of Anvil Mining, about the suppression of a rebellion in Kilwa, a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in October 2004. The clip opens with lawyer Richard Meeran explaining a point of Australian law. This is followed by footage of Anvil’s mining operation in the DRC. In voice-over, reporter Sally Neighbour describes the reopening of the mine after the uprising and reads from a company statement. Turner is shown in close-up responding to Neighbour’s questions.

Educational value points

• The clip raises the issues of the moral and legal responsibilities of Australian companies running business operations in other countries. The interview refers to a DRC Government request that Anvil provide planes to transport soldiers to Kilwa. Anvil vehicles were used by soldiers to suppress a small independence movement, recapture Kilwa and, according to eyewitnesses, remove corpses and transport people for execution.

• In the clip, lawyer Richard Meeran says that if an Australian assists in a crime, then that assistance is considered to be a crime. Australian laws mirror those of the International Criminal Court, which deals with crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and the systematic killing of civilians and may be applied to corporations involved in international crime.

• The interviewer, Sally Neighbour, uses her research and Anvil’s own press release to prevent Turner from distancing himself and the company from the events that became known as the Kilwa massacre. Close and uninterrupted camerawork focuses on Turner throughout as Neighbour quotes the company’s own wording back to him and he constructs a defence of Anvil’s position regarding the suppression of the rebel group.

• Four Corners alleged that the DRC Government went to extreme lengths to crush the rebellion, which consisted of about six rebels and a few dozen followers. The military action was taken in part to facilitate the speedy reopening of the Anvil Mining operation, from which members of the Government drew financial reward. Katumba Mwanke, a close advisor to President Kabila, is a former Anvil board member and had business dealings with the company.

• In November 2004 a UN draft report on the incident found that, although the rebels had surrendered without resistance, about 28 executions were carried out by the military and around 100 people, including women and children, were killed. Eyewitnesses spoke to Four Corners of beatings, torture and the looting of property.

• Anvil Mining has three mines in the Katanga province of the DRC where the events described in the clip occurred and is exempted by the DRC Government from paying tax. In 2008, Anvil employed more than 2,500 people and in 2007 had revenue of US$263 million. Anvil was a 5-cent-a-share mining 'minnow’ from Perth when Bill Turner, then its only employee, first went to the DRC in 1995 looking for mining opportunities.