MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 136: "Marriott, Minor and EY corruption - hunger striker calls for accountability, human rights compliance and systemic reform

"The corporate responsibility to respect human rights means?to avoid infringing the rights of others, and addressing adverse impacts that may occur.?It applies to all companies in all situations" (from The corporate responsibility to respect human rights -?Prof John Ruggie)?

The 6th Marriott hunger strike continues: As?life on the street once again beckons, a?consequence of historical?whistleblower retaliation after the?exposure of?hotel industry corruption, this may well be the final 'Marriott Lamentations'. At the same time,?without corporate intervention,?the 6th Marriott?Hunger Strike Protest will continue to an inevitable, though tragic, conclusion. Medical assistance?will be refused for as long as capacity is retained; I trust?the emergency?services will respect my wishes thereafter (cf.?MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 128: "What Marriott's Profit Before People Mindset Can Lead To - A Human Tragedy" )

Hunger striking: A hunger strike is a protest against continued injustice: it is always actioned as a last resort without any suicidal intention. Hunger strikers want to live but never at the expense of oppression and they are willing to fight for that. In this particular case, it is one man standing up to corporate power; it is corporate power largely denying his very existence. "They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them" - Mahatma Gandhi?(cf. "MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 134: "In this era of impunity, death by protest can equate to victory")

Whistleblower Retaliation: As a whistleblower,?I have been victimised,?bullied and dehumanised;?retaliated against;?ignored and subjected to long periods of silence (yes, "silence?is?violence");?mocked and?defamed; made out to be mentally imbalanced and dishonourable; double-crossed and?lied to;?chased out of the country I was living and working in; rendered?destitute and homeless.?Ultimately, when it comes to this magnitude of psychological suffering and?cruelty, there is only so much a 65 year old?human being?can endure

The Media:?Due to the gross and damaging misrepresentation of?previous press reports,?media coverage has not been requested this time. Once my demise has been "achieved", I have?little doubt?that the corporations will re-establish media contact,?break their silence and?besmirch my name; denial, blame, misrepresentation and lies will all resurface?(cf.?MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 133: "Hotel Industry Corruption - The Life and Death of a Whistleblower")

Brief summary of the issues involved:

Campaigning on both personal and collective grounds, the aim of this 14 year struggle has been to surmount the obstacles of corporate privilege and subterfuge?and?to unveil global hotel industry corruption; construction and insurance fraud; operational malfeasance; whistleblower retaliation and corporate abuse; unresolved human rights violations (conflicting with the UN's Protect, Respect, Remedy Framework for Business and Human Rights); FCPA infraction; M&A transgressions / failures; brand standards / reputation risk management, due diligence and auditing negligence; other compliance breaches; failures in corporate accountability, transparency and governance. These are serious issues for which?considerable evidence is held (cf.?MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 105: "Marriott (and Minor's) Magical FCPA Challenge - Part 3")

Systemic collapse:?"There are good grounds to fear we are entering a global 'age of impunity', in which the rules are for suckers and civilians pay the price" (Miliband et al) This is being enabled by institutions purportedly sanctioned?to act in the public interest, for justice and?the common good.?Over the years, I have been repeatedly let down by a reactive structure of noncommunication, indifference and inaction. For whatever reason, the entire world system?(which includes?global regulators, law makers and enforcers, the judiciary, the legal profession, anti-corruption groups and those set up to safeguard whistleblowers) has confirmed its impotence and parochiality (and, in certain?cases, a willingness to be corrupted)?in the face of multinational predators.?People require the?assurance?they will not be retaliated against, that multinationals WILL be held accountable and not allowed to evade?responsibility. Only systemic collapse can explain why this level of corporate barbarity has been allowed to persist (cf.?MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 52: "For Marriott, Minor and EY, Corruption Lacks Borders")

Corporate accountability, integrity and silence: Despite their stated regulatory commitments,?despite frequent email and postal updates, despite the UN Framework for business and human rights, despite the potential death of an abused whistleblower,?the three corporations - Marriott International, Minor International and EY - remain silent, aloof and unwilling to act humanely (cf.?MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 131: "Whatever Happened to the UN's 'Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework' for Business and Human Rights?")

"Marriott?International is committed to... holding ourselves?accountable?in order to be a force for good"?(marriott.com)

"Minor Hotels?and its affiliates conduct business with uncompromising ethical standards... [and does] not engage in any form of corrupt practice, including but not limited to extortion, fraud or bribery" (minorhotels.com)

"Integrity [is] more than a matter of legal necessity. It [is] a moral imperative...?(ey.com)

Conclusion: The problems I have faced personally are the collective problems of mankind.?The ruthless and rapacious global corporatocracy in which we all?exist is?too well-established and out of control to obviate. Successfully propagandised and?subservient to a class of corporate and political oppressors,?the citizens of the world have become?the?powerless victims of an enormous scam; for the minority?who stand to benefit,?the grand conspiracy is going oh so well. Civilisation is in a very dangerous place indeed but don't expect that reality to alter the corporate mindset or prompt a cessation of?the corporate offensive.?50 years ago, Krishnamurti rightly perceived?that "if you have no relationship with [the planet and] the living things on this earth, you may lose whatever relationship you have with humanity". Sadly,?the corporate agenda has led us to?where we are now

God bless

John Shepherd (Marriott, Minor and EY victim)

[This article was published on Day 45 of the 6th Marriott Hunger Strike, incorporating Minor International and EY. It has been distributed to US and UK regulators, US and UK politicians, the UN and corporate executives]