Dr. Michael Inacker

Vice-President

External Affairs and Public Policy

DaimlerChrysler AG

HPC 1134

70546 Stuttgart

Ref.: AMR/ER/TC014.2006

AI Index: AMR 19/015/2006 (Public)

3^rd May 2006

Dear Dr. Michael Inacker,

As an Amnesty International member I thank DaimlerChrysler for its ongoing dialogue with our organisation on the issue of the police van, known as the caveirão, used in operations in Rio de Janeiro. From your correspondence of 2 March 2006 and 13 March 2006, I understand that DaimlerChrysler’s position is that:

• DC Bras has not delivered chassis which could have been used for any type of police operations;

• DC Bras has no knowledge of the use of Mercedes motors in caveirões;

• DC Bras supplies its chassis to the Brazilian company TCT Blindados for security vans only.

You have also informed us that DaimlerChrysler do Brasil has urged TCT Blindados to remove the Mercedes logo from its webpage. TCT Blindados has not yet complied with your request, and its web page still uses Mercedes Benz vehicles to advertise TCT Blindados’ services for military use.

However, Amnesty International believes that DaimlerChrysler’s responsibility goes beyond asking TCT to remove your logo from their webpage. The human rights organization strongly feels that, in line with the UN Norms for Business, corporations should inform themselves of how their products are being used and, in order to avoid complicity, do what they can to ensure their goods are not linked to human rights abuses. Moreover, as a member of the Global Compact it would be important for DaimlerChrysler to consider its first two principles which emphasise that “Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights” and that “Businesses should make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses”.

In light of this Amnesty International would like to provide you with a recent photograph which depicts a caveirão in the city of Rio de Janeiro with a Mercedes Benz logo. This indicates that Mercedes Benz chassis are still used in caveirões operated by Rio de Janeiro’s police forces.

Amnesty International understands that DaimlerChrysler may not have been aware of the end use of its products. However, given this latest evidence we urge you to:

1) Raise this matter with the Rio de Janeiro state authorities. Specifically, you should request that the authorities stop using existing caveirão to:

• kill indiscriminately.

• intimidate whole communities.

• mount violent policing operations involving excessive use of force.

These are the recommendations that Amnesty International will be promoting during our campaign. You can find further information on the use of the caveirão in Rio de Janeiro in our report: "We have come to take your souls":
the caveirão and policing in Rio de Janeiro AI Index: AMR 19/007/2006 (see: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR190072006?open&of=ENG-BRA.)

2) In your letter to Amnesty International you have emphasised that it is in the interest of your company not to deliver products to parties who may violate internationally accepted standards of human rights. Amnesty International urges you to ensure that TCT Blindados stops using Mercedes Benz parts for purposes that may result in human rights abuses.

We note with respect that DaimlerChrysler take the protection of human rights very seriously, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,