[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 2/14/06
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- Twin Otter Skids at Mulia Airport Papua
- Taxpayers dole out $73,000 to send Papuans to Perth hospital
- TNI chief: No increase in security disturbances in Papua
- Vanuatu: Deported Papuan Refugee With No Passport Returns
- Vanuatu: Deporting Papuan Activist "A Foolish Act”, Says Opposition Leader
- Indonesia, Russia plan to build aerospace centre in Papua
- Russia, Indonesia to Build Rocket-Launching Pad on Remote Island
- 1,000 illegal logs confiscated in Papua
- Ten arrested in Papua for logging
- Papua court rejects logging case
- Virus kills pigs in Papua
- Indonesia Seeks New Deal With Freeport
- Govt wants more of Freeport revenue
- RI sends team to check waste disposal at Freeport's mine
- Govt may prosecute Freeport if pollution allegations prove true
- Indonesia Min: "Preliminary Evidence" Freeport Polluted
- Freeport told to clean up copper mine
*****************************
Antara
Feb 14 16:30
Twin Otter Skids at Mulia Airport Papua
Jayapura, Papua (Antara News) - A light airplane carrying 15 people
skidded at the airport of Mulia, capital of Puncak Jaya district in Papua
on Tuesday.
Puncak Jaya district head Elieser Renmaur said all people on board the
ill-fated Twin Otter operated by the private Trigana airline were safe.
Elieser told Elshinta news radio that the left wing and rear tyre of the
aircraft broke after the Twin Otter could not land properly.
The accident occurred at 07.55 a.m. local time some time after it had
taken off from Nabire’s airport.
Elieser said the passengers began feeling the trouble before the Twin
Otter touched the ground.
He said Tuesday’s accident was the first to have occurred this year.
Three fatal airplane accidents have happened at Mulia’s airport over the
past five years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Age (Melbourne)
Taxpayers dole out $73,000 to send Papuans to Perth hospital
By Jewel Topsfield, Canberra
February 14, 2006
Two West Papuan asylum seekers with suspected tuberculosis were flown to
Perth at a cost to taxpayers of $73,000, just two days after they were
transferred to Christmas Island.
Forty-three people from the Indonesian province of West Papua arrived at
Cape York last month to claim asylum in Australia.
A Senate committee yesterday was told that medical staff at Weipa, in
Queensland, assessed the group as fit to travel to detention at Christmas
Island despite concerns about tuberculosis. Medical staff discussed those
concerns after the asylum seekers underwent health checks. But they were
not raised with immigration officials.
Soon after arriving on Christmas Island, a man and his daughter were
rushed to Perth with suspected tuberculosis. The cost of the charter was
$73,000.
Immigration Department assistant secretary Dermot Casey told the committee
immigration officials had acted on the medical advice that the 36 adults
and seven children were fit to be moved to the island.
"In hindsight, we've been informed by Queensland Health there was some
concern (about tuberculosis)," Mr Casey said.
"We were not aware of this until they arrived on Christmas Island."
The man has since been diagnosed with non-contagious tuberculosis and his
daughter is still undergoing tests. They are expected to be returned to
Christmas Island soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Media Indonesia
February 11, 2006
TNI chief: No increase in security disturbances in Papua
Ratna Nuraini, Jakarta – TNI (Indonesian military) chief General
Endriartono Sutarto has revealed that there has been no increase in
security disturbances in Papua. This is based on a study conducted by the
TNI.
Sutarto conveyed this on Friday February 10 at the TNI national
headquarters in Cilangkap. “In fact the TNI views the developments in
terms of security disturbances as insignificant. Rather, the disturbances
are political disturbances from a group of people that want to separate
themselves [from Indonesia]”, he said.
According to Sutarto, it is because of this that the TNI will not be
increasing its security forces in the province. He conveyed this in
relation to questions about the request by 43 Papuan to seek asylum in
Australia.
“There are no grounds for them to request asylum. Several of them have in
fact been detained in relation to raising the Melanesia Brother [sic]
flag. So [claims of] being pursued doesn’t make sense”, he said.
In relation to Australia’s attitude towards the asylum seekers, Sutarto
admitted to also having raised questions over the matter. In Sutarto’s
view Australia’s handling of the cases of asylum seekers from Afghanistan
is different from West Papua.
“Why is there a difference in the handling of Afghanistan cases and this
one. Whereas in both [cases] I don’t thing there is anything that could be
a reason to say that they need to obtain amnesty and legal treatment”, he
said.
Although TNI forces in Papua will not be augmented, Sutarto said that the
TNI would continue to deploy its personnel to provide security at vital
installations. This follows the government’s decision to order the TNI to
assist in providing security to vital installations.
“There was a request from Freeport to the police to provide security. The
Indonesian police then felt they needed the TNI at Freeport. So there was
an order from the Minister for Security, Political and Legal Affairs for
the TNI to assist the Indonesian police in the framework of providing
security for Freeport. That was the legal umbrella”, he said.
(Nur/OL-06)
-- [Translated by James Balowski.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vanuatu Daily Post/PNS
Vanuatu: Deported Papuan Refugee With No Passport Returns
Monday: February 13, 2006
West Papuan refugee and activist in Port Vila, Andy Ayamiseba was arrested
and deported without notice last week, Vanuatu Daily Post reports.
The newspaper said Mr Ayamiseba was deported to Australia without any
valid passport. He holds a Vanuatu diplomatic passport that was no longer
valid.
The Daily Post said the West Papua was deported with a piece of paper as
his travel document saying he was “stateless” and a “refugee” without a
passport or a valid up-to-date Australian visa.
Australian High Commission’s Second Secretary, Peter Budd told the Post
that Australia and Solomon Islands refused to accept the identity document
as no prior arrangements were made with both countries.
Mr Budd said the West Papuan activist had the opportunity to stay in
Australia but chose Vanuatu instead.
He however confirmed that Australia was looking at his refugee status.
The order for his removal was made by Minister for Internal Affairs on 09
February.
In a briefly worded document supplied to the police enforcing the order it
stated; “In exercise of the powers given to me by paragraph 17A (1(a) of
the Immigration Act, I honourable make the following order. Andy Ayamiseba
is to be removed from Vanuatu for a period of 10 years commencing from the
date on which this order is made.”
No reasons were given for the sudden deportation order.
“He was an overstayer in breach of the Immigration Act and was involved in
politics which is against the law for a foreigner. We do not know why he
had a diplomatic passport.” Minister Wells said.
He warned that the “the rules of this country must be observed by
foreigners.”
Previously, Ayamiseba was deported along with the Black Brothers in 1988
for allegedly involving themselves in politics. He returned to Port Vila
in 1999 when Barak Sope was Prime Minister.
He has a business in Vanuatu and was actively involved in the Free West
Papua office in Vanuatu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vanuatu Daily Post/PNS
Vanuatu: Deporting Papuan Activist "A Foolish Act”, Says Opposition Leader
Tuesday: February 14, 2006
Vanuatu’s opposition leader, Serge Vohor has expressed deep reservation
over what he termed the sudden deportation of West Papua activist, Andy
Ayamiseba last week.
‘Trying to remove Ayamiseba is a clear evidence government does not
recognise how endangered the Melanesian race is, Vanuatu’s opposition
leader, Vohor said in a statement reported by the Daily Post.
Mr Vohor described the deportation as a “foolish act” and requested the
Vanuatu Government to be clear on its policy towards the West Papuan
struggle for freedom.
“Vanuatu is regarded in the international arena as West Papuan’s last
frontier for their attempt at securing political independence. We cannot
fail any of their leaders,’’ Vohor stressed.
Mr Vohor, a former prime minister, has demanded that the foreign affairs
minister, Sato Kilman and the minister of internal affairs, George Wells
be sacked by Prime Minister Ham Lini.
He also blamed the Prime Minister for allowing his minister to go against
a policy which is close to all Melanesian’s heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viet Nam News Agency
Indonesia, Russia plan to build aerospace centre in Papua
02/14/2006 -- 11:23(GMT+7)
Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia and Russia plan to build an aerospace centre on
Biak island in the former's easternmost province of Papua to launch
rockets and satellites, according to newsweekly Gatra magazine in its Feb.
18 edition.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed during a
visit by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Moscow, the
magazine quoted Hazairin Pohan, Director of the Indonesian Foreign
Ministry's Department of Middle and Eastern Europe Affairs, as saying.
Wisjnu Permana Marsis, Secretary General of Indonesia's National Institute
of Aeronautics and Space said Biak has been regarded as an ideal site to
build the aerospace centre because the island is close to the equator.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MosNews
Russia, Indonesia to Build Rocket-Launching Pad on Remote Island
Created: 14.02.2006 10:14 MSK (GMT +3)
Indonesia and Russia plan to build a satellite launching pad on a remote
island in Indonesia’s easternmost province, the Associated Press reported.
Senior officials from the two countries signed an initial agreement last
week to build the launch pad on Biak Island in Papua province, 3,200
kilometers (2,000 miles) northeast of Jakarta. The island was chosen
because it is close to the equator, where rockets can take advantage of
the Earth’s greater rotational speed to save on fuel.
According to calculations made by Indonesia’s National Institute of
Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), an aerospace vehicle needs a speed of 7.8
kilometers per second to orbit the earth. However, if it is launched from
an equatorial region, it only needs 7.4 km per second.
LAPAN employees also told Kyodo news agency that a rocket launched from
the equatorial region can carry a load that is 25 percent heavier than
those launched elsewhere.
Wisjnu Permana Marsis, LAPAN secretary general stressed that China, Japan
and the U.S. had earlier showed interest in building the aerospace center,
but “Russia gives the most competitive” offer.
Anatoly Karpov, a head of the Air Start company that will perform
cooperation with Indonesia, promised to invest about $25 million to build
the ground base.
Karpov also said the aerospace center will utilize an air launch
technology system. Such a system, he said, is four times cheaper than
launching from the sea and 10 times cheaper than a land-launch system.
Biak Regent Yusuf Maryen said the local government has prepared 27
hectares of land for the project, which will be built by Russia’s Air
Launch Aerospace Corp. in 2007.
The final agreement — a memorandum of understanding on the project — is
due to be signed by presidents of Russia and Indonesia during a visit by
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Moscow scheduled for June.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 11, 2006
1,000 illegal logs confiscated in Papua
Jayapura, Papua: Papua Police have confiscated more than 1,000 illegal
logs, 49 heavy equipment units and two barges in Bintuni regency, some 500
kilometers west of Jayapura, an official said Friday.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tomy Jacobus said the logs and equipment
were confiscated because the owner -- forest concession holder PT Rimba
Kayu Arthamas, which officially did not engage in any logging activities
last year -- could not show the necessary documents for their ownership.
"PT Rimba Kayu Arthamas could not present documents for the logs, while
the heavy equipment and barges were used without any permission from the
authorities overseeing the facilities," Tomy said.
"These activities violated Article 78 of the 1999 Forestry Law," he said,
adding that the company was believed to have illegally shipped logs to
Central Java from September to December last year.
Tomy said the 49 pieces of heavy equipment would be used as evidence in a
trial at the local district court.
He said he would deploy a team to determine who allowed PT Rimba Kayu
Arthamas to illegally use the property.
Ten people, including the unidentified owners of the company, officials at
the local prosecutor's office and others from the Bintuni Forestry Agency,
have been questioned in connection with the case, Tomy said.
-- JP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 13, 2006
Ten arrested in Papua for logging
Jayapura, Irian Jaya: Police have arrested 10 people from two timber
companies suspected of illegal logging in Teluk Bintuni regency.
Papua police chief Insp. Gen. Tommy Jacobus identified the companies as PT
Rimba Kayu Arthamas and PT Purwa Bhaskara.
Police confiscated more than 2,000 logs and heavy equipment belonging to
the companies, Antara reported.
-- JP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 13, 2006
Papua court rejects logging case
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
In a high-profile illegal logging trial, the Jayapura District Court on
Monday returned the case against Papua Forestry Office head Marthen Kayoi
to the prosecution, advising that the charges against the official are
"premature".
Presiding judge Lodewyk Tiwery told prosecutors to first focus on bringing
cases against Papua's governor, the late JP Solossa, and Papua's former
forestry head, Hugo Rajaar, who Marthen replaced, before charging Marthen.
Marthen was declared a criminal suspect following a high-profile report on
the smuggling of 300,000 cubic meters of timber per month from Indonesia
-- mostly Papua province -- to China.
When this long-running trial opened last April, prosecutors requested a
six-year jail sentence for Marthen, who they accused of violating articles
50 and 78 of the 1999 Forestry Law and Article 55 of the Criminal Code.
Judge Lodewyk acknowledged Marthen had issued permits to harvest logs on
tribal grounds, which is considered a violation of the 1999 law.
However, he said the permits were issued based on a circular issued by the
Papua governor on Aug. 22, 2002, which provided guidelines for tribal
communities to harvest forest products. The circular was in accordance
with articles 37 and 76 of the 1999 Forestry Law, which regulates the use
and management of forests by tribal communities.
When asked why the court originally accepted the prosecution's charges
against Marthen, Lodewyk, who has been chief of the Jayapura District
Court for two months, said the decision was made by the original panel of
judges hearing the case, which had since been replaced. He gave
prosecutors a week to decide on the future of the case.
The prosecution, led by Dadang Wibawa, said the court's decision only
focused on the permits but ignored the fact that the suspect also issued
permits allowing heavy equipment to be used to move the logs.
"We'll think the decision over, but the prosecution stands by their
decision not to stop the legal process," Dadang said.
The defendant's lawyer, Budi Setyanto, said the court's decision made
sense because his client was only continuing the policy of the previous
forestry office head.
"Two other officials, the (late) governor and the former forestry office
head, should be prosecuted before our client," he said.
Marthen, who refused to make a statement after the trial, was named a
suspect following the publication of a high-profile report, titled The
Last Frontier, which found more than US$1 billion in illegal timber had
been smuggled out of the country.
The report, which was released last February by the London-based
Environmental Investigation Agency and Indonesian environmental group
Telapak, found Papua was the main illegal logging hub in the country.
Following the report's release -- which alleged that illegal logging
operations were backed by high-ranking Indonesian Military officers
working with government officials and law enforcers -- President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono ordered an "integrated crackdown" on all parties
suspected of involvement in illegal logging.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 10, 2006
Virus kills pigs in Papua
Jayapura, Papua: Pig farmers in Jayapura say a viral disease afflicting
their livestock has led to the deaths of dozens of swine over the last
three weeks.
Kelly Deda, a resident of Ayapo kampong in Sentani Timur district,
Jayapura, said Thursday the virus had been evident in pigs in the area
since October, but only recently had pigs begun dying almost daily.
Kelly said four of his six pigs had died, and that many of his neighbors
were dealing with the same problem. "We're confused because every day
there is a dead pig," he said.
He said pigs infected with the virus showed unusual symptoms before dying,
including an unwillingness to move, floundering and fluid running out of
their noses and ears.
The head of the provincial livestock office, AR Pintadewa, told The
Jakarta Post his office had sent biological samples from the dead pigs to
the veterinary laboratory in Maros, South Sulawesi, to identify the virus.
Of the 12 samples sent to the laboratory, two were seropositive for hog
cholera, he said.
"We will send more samples to find the actual cause of the deaths," he said.
Hog cholera, Pintadewa said, infected pigs in Timika in 2004, causing the
deaths of about 7,000 swine.
"Hog cholera spreads very fast with a fatality rate of 100 percent," he said.
-- JP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forbes.com
Indonesia Seeks New Deal With Freeport
Associated Press
02.10.2006, 01:21 PM
Indonesia wants to renegotiate its profit-sharing agreement with U.S.
mining giant Freeport because of soaring mineral prices on the global
market, Indonesia's vice president said Friday.
"Prices of gold and nickel are currently high, (and) based on this, profit
sharing should be increased by two to three times from the previous
figures," Jusuf Kalla told reporters, without elaborating on whether the
terms of the government's current deal allow for renegotiation.
New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. as well other
foreign investors in Indonesia, have long complained that lack of clear
government regulations and legal certainty make doing business here
difficult.
"The Government of Indonesia's revenues increase commensurately with those
of PT Freeport Indonesia, our Indonesian mining affiliate. Under the terms
of its Contract of Work, PT-FI pays corporate income taxes at a rate of 35
percent and withholding taxes on dividends at the treaty rate of 10
percent," the company said in a statement issued Friday.
Freeport-McMoRan funneled $260 million into government coffers in the form
of taxes, royalties and dividends and fees in 2004, data from the
company's annual report for that year indicates.
The company has come under fresh scrutiny recently for the payments it
makes to troops guarding the Papua mine. The company said recently that
U.S. government agencies were investigating the payments amid speculation
they might violate American anti-corruption laws.
Freeport-McMoRan began operating in Indonesia in 1969, after allegedly
signing a deal directly with former dictator Suharto, who gained Western
support by opening the nation's economy to foreign investment.
Copper and gold prices on the world market hit record highs earlier this
month.
Freeport's Grasberg mine in Papua, the Indonesian-occupied half of New
Guinea, is the world's largest gold and copper mine and has decades of
future production, the 2004 report said.
"PT-FI has been consistently one of the GOI's (Government of Indonesia)
largest taxpayers and largest employers and our operations provide
significant benefits for Indonesia and Papua," the company said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Business News
February 11, 2006
Govt wants more of Freeport revenue
Rendi Akhmad Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
PT Freeport Indonesia should increase the revenue it shares with the
government from its Papua mines amid lucrative prices of copper and gold,
Vice President Jusuf Kalla says.
Kalla said an interdepartmental team would review the revenue portion
received by the government and administrations in Papua from the local
unit of U.S. giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
"With rising gold and copper prices, Indonesia should get double or triple
the current revenue sharing," said Kalla at a weekly media conference
Friday.
He added the team would also investigate allegations that the company
polluted the local environment at its Grasberg mine.
Kalla, a businessman-turned-politician, said the bigger slice of revenue
would help develop Papua, the country's most isolated and poorest
province, with more than 70 percent of the revenue earmarked for local
administrations.
"We just don't want to see special autonomy being implemented (in the
province), but the revenue share for the province is small compared to the
results obtained by Freeport," he said.
Kalla stopped short of saying that the government wanted to change the
existing mining contract of Freeport.
New Orleans-based Freeport McMoRan controls an 81.28 percent stake in
Freeport Indonesia, with 9.36 percent owned by the government and another
9.36 percent held by locally registered investment firm PT Indocopper,
which is controlled by Freeport McMoRan.
With a stake of some 9.36 percent, the government takes in between US$25
million and $30 million in royalty proceeds annually from Freeport,
according to Finance Ministry figures.
The government is only entitled to 20 percent of the proceeds, with the
remaining 16 percent going to the provincial administration Papua and 64
percent to the administration of the Timika regency, where the Freeport
mining site is located.
Aside from royalties, Freeport also pays corporate income tax to the
central government, which amounted to $168 million in 2004, according to
the ministry.
The Papua administration plans to acquire the stake owned by Indocopper.
However, the administration is facing difficulties in raising funds to
finance the acquisition, valued at about $700 million.
Calling the current allocations unfair, Papua has long sought a revised
split of the profits earned by Freeport from operations at Grasberg, the
world's largest gold and second largest copper producer.
Aside from the royalty issue, the Papua administration has also urged the
government and Freeport to show greater commitment to the development of
the country's easternmost province.
Freeport recently came into the spotlight following an allegations it paid
millions of dollars in fees to the Indonesian Military (TNI) for
protecting the company's site in Papua.
The Office of the State Minister for the Environment has also accused
Freeport of polluting the local environment.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Tuesday the
government would review Freeport's mining contract if the company was
proven to have polluted the environment from an interdeparmental team's
investigation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RI sends team to check waste disposal at Freeport's mine
2/14/2006 2:01:12 PM
Jakarta (Bloomberg)
Environment Ministry has sent a 15-member team to check if
Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc. improperly disposed waste from its
mining operations in Papua province, Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar
said.
"There's a problem with its tailings. They were not properly processed,"
Rachmat said in a phone interview yesterday.
Preliminary data showed that Freeport may have exceeded the minimum
residue limit in the Grasberg mine, the world's biggest gold mine in Papua
province, he said. An environment ministry report to parliament dated Jan.
30 showed total suspended solid in Aghawagon river stood at 451.7
milligrams per liter, more than the government-set limit of 50 milligrams
per liter. The team was sent on Feb. 10.
"We have sent a full team, but I will need further findings to say what's
the next step," Rachmat said.
Freeport's spokesman Siddharta Moersjid said the company would cooperate
with the Environment Ministry to address any concerns they may have.
"We do not use cyanide or mercury in our process," Moersjid said in an
e-mail response. "Our mine tailings are simply finely ground natural rock
and are non-toxic."
The tests are expected to be completed in about three weeks, Rasio Ridho
Sani, assistant deputy minister for management of hazardous material for
mining, energy oil and gas, said in an interview.
Freeport runs the Grasberg mine, which is also the world's second-biggest
copper mine, under a 30-year contract with the Indonesian government. The
agreement, which started in 1992, can be extended for up to another 20
years.
The environment ministry has charged Newmont Mining Corp., the world's
biggest gold miner, of polluting a bay near the company's mine in North
Sulawesi province. The head of Newmont's local business, Richard Ness, 56,
faces as many as 10 years in prison if convicted. The company and Ness
deny the allegations, saying waste disposal from the mine was within legal
limits.
Indonesia also filed a US$117 million civil suit against the Denver-based
Newmont, claiming waste from the miner polluted the sea. In November, an
Indonesian court dismissed the suit, saying it doesn't have the
jurisdiction to decide on the case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
February 14, 2006
Govt may prosecute Freeport if pollution allegations prove true
Rendi Akhmad Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government may take legal action against PT Freeport Indonesia, a
local unit of U.S. giant Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., if the gold
and copper miner is found to have polluted the environment near its mining
concession in Papua.
State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said Monday the
ministry was conducting a follow-up investigation after preliminary
evidence of toxic pollution was detected near the mining site.
"If Freeport refuses or fails to comply (with the existing environmental
regulations), we will prosecute them," said Rachmat on the sidelines of
the swearing-in ceremony of new military chief Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto
at the State Palace.
However, the high-ranking Golkar Party of the 1980s said resorting to
prosecution would only be made after the government gave Freeport the
right to answer any accusations or comply with the regulations if it was
at fault.
Environmental officials earlier disclosed evidence that Freeport allegedly
disposed mining waste in the Otomina River, located near its Grasberg
mining site, endangering biodiversity and public health in surrounding
areas.
The ministry is now carrying out another investigation to obtain more
substantial evidence.
Freeport Indonesia spokesman Siddharta Moersjid said the company would
cooperate with the ministry to resolve the problem.
"We will work cooperatively with the environment ministry to address any
concerns they may have, as we have always done in the past. We share the
same goal, which is to continually improve environmental management," he
said Monday.
Rachmat has a record of challenging corporate polluters, including PT
Newmont Minahasa Raya, a local unit of another U.S. gold miner Newmont
Mining Corp., by filling a US$133.6 million civil suit.
The South Jakarta District Court rejected the suit in November, with the
two sides working on an amicable settlement.
On Friday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla demanded Freeport increase the
revenue it shares with the government from the Papua mines amid higher
prices of copper and gold.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro earlier
threatened to review the company's contract if there was evidence of
violations of environmental regulations.
The government is planning to set up an interdepartmental team with a task
to review the revenue portion received by the government and
administrations in Papua from the company, as well as investigate the
pollution allegation.
Freeport also faced negative publicity after a December report in the New
York Times that the company had made payments of nearly US$20 million to
the Indonesian military and police officers to protect its mining site
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesia Min: "Preliminary Evidence" Freeport Polluted
Monday February 13, 2:14 AM EST
Jakarta -(Dow Jones)
A government probe has found "preliminary evidence" of toxic pollution at
U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX)'s (FCX)
massive Grasberg mine in remote Papua province, Minister of Environment
Rachmat Witoelar said Monday.
The environment ministry has dispatched a second team of investigators to
confirm an initial government probe that indicated toxic contamination of
mine tailings at the New Orleans-based firm's Papua facility, Witoelar
told reporters.
"There is preliminary evidence that that there's pollution by Freeport,"
he said.
Witoelar spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of Air Marshall Djoko
Suyanto as the new chief of Indonesia's armed forces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Financial Times (London)
Freeport told to clean up copper mine
By Shawn Donnan in Jakarta
Published: February 14 2006 02:00
Indonesia's environment minister yesterday threatened to bring legal
action against Freeport McMoRan if the US copper and gold producer did not
improve practices at its Grasberg mine.
Freeport has faced criticism from human rights and environmental groups
over its practices at the Grasberg mine in Indonesia's remote and
conflict-torn Papua province.
The company has come under pressure from campaigners, shareholders and
politicians in Indonesia and the US in recent months over allegations that
it made millions of dollars in payments to officers in the Indonesian
military, which it pays to provide security at the mine.
The threat of legal action made yesterday by Rachmat Witoelar escalates
that pressure. It also raises the possibility that Freeport could become
embroiled in thesort of protracted legal and environmental battle with
Jakarta that Newmont, another US gold miner, has endured since 2004.
Mr Witoelar's environment ministry was behind a $135m civil suit filed
against Newmont last year that was dismissed. One of Newmont's top
executives in Indonesia also has been on trial for months on criminal
charges of pollution near its Minahasa Raya mine in Sulawesi.
The minister said he took a December New York Times report alleging
environmental damage at the Grasberg mine as a "preliminary indication"
that mining waste - or tailings - from Freeport was causing pollution.
An investigative team from his ministry arrived at the Freeport site on
Friday, Mr Witoelar said. It would conduct tests on Freeport's tailings,
the river water into which they are dumped and air quality around the
mine.
Mr Witoelar said the company was co-operating with the team, which was
allowed to visit the mine as a result of a Freeport decision last year to
join a corporate monitoring programme overseen by his ministry.
The minister said he wanted to see Freeport improve its environmental
practices at the mine and examine alternatives to its controversial
"riverine" tailings disposal system.
"We have to work together. They are investing in our country and I want
them to keep investing here. But I don't want them to break the law," he
said. "If there is such a thing as environmentally-friendly mining
practice then I want them to do that. It can be done."
Freeport executives in the US could not be reached for comment last night.
But, in the past, Freeport has strenuously denied that its tailings system
causes any environmental damage.
"In operating a large mine, environmental impacts unavoidably occur. We
manage our impacts responsibly," Richard Adkerson, chief executive, wrote
in a letter last month responding to the New York Times report.
-- Additional reporting by Taufan Hidayat
KABAR IRIAN ("Irian News") www.kabar-irian.com
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