“Papua Tribe Targets Mining Giant Freeport in $30 Billion Legal Action”

Wes Papuan's in tradtional dress

Based upon an article written by the Jakarta Globe’s Heru Andriyanto the West Papuan   Amungme tribe has filed a $30 billion lawsuit against Freeport McMoRan for damages sustained over 40 years of operations on their ancestral lands. The 90 Amungmes are represented by  their tribes lawyer Titus Natkime.

Natkime said “from 1969 to 2009, our land has been exploited and we have not had a fair share of the wealth it generates,the tribe holds the traditional rights to own the land and all its resources, but other people took away all the financial benefits from us”.

The tribe claims that it owns 2.6 million hectares of the land on which the mine is located.

A spokesperson for Freeport McMoRan Mindo Pangaribuan responded by email stating that “since 1996, PT Freeport Indonesia has allocated 1 percent of its gross revenue for a society development program, and in 2008 the partnership fund reached some $324 million.” Read the full article

“600 Army Officers Deployed to Guard Papua Freeport Mine”

West Papua Freeport Mine (http://www.safecom.org.au/images/freeport1.jpg)

According to an article published on Jakarta Globe the Freeport Timuka mine (West Papua) has employed 600 army officers to secure the mine following a series of armed attacks from separist groups. The Papua Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Yani Nasution said that the situation was “totally secure” and that ” West Papua is secure and under control”.

The move comes after a number of armed roadside ambushes outside the mine, workers at the mine have started wearing flak jackets and helmets and other safety measures have been instigated. Read the full article

West Papua occupation condemned

Selena Black

16 August 2009

MELBOURNE — August 15 marked 47 years since the US, Australia, the Netherlands and the United Nations made the New York Agreement, allowing West Papua to be invaded by Indonesia.

Fifty West Papuans and supporters gathered on August 14 to commemorate the day. They took their protest to the US and Indonesian consulates to remind them of the human tragedy of West Papua’s occupation. Protesters promised to further the campaign internationally so that the genocide of indigenous West Papuans is no longer ignored. From

Indonesian lawsuit against global mining

  Christina Hill [Mining Advocacy Coordinator, Oxfam Australia]: “It has been reported that local communities in the Indonesian province of West Papua have filed a $30 billion lawsuit against the local subsidiary of US mining company Freeport-McRoRan Copper & Gold – operator of the giant Grasberg mine. The company is being sued for environmental and human rights violations. As reported by the JURIST, Freeport has been a frequent target of environmental and human rights groups who allege human rights abuse and environmental damage.

 

Back in 2006, Freeport was excluded from the $300 billion Norwegian Government Pension Fund’s investment portfolio on ethical grounds. Freeport’s mining activities at Grasberg were found [PDF file] to “involve an unacceptable risk of complicity in severe and irreversible damage to the natural environment” while the “company’s practice of riverine [tailings] disposal is in breach of international standards.” Freeport is not the only mining company to be blacklisted by the Pension Fund for causing severe environmental damage due to the practice of dumping mine waste into rivers. Barrick Gold and Rio Tinto – which has a stake in the Grasberg mine – have also been excluded from the Fund’s investment portfolio for this reason.Read More

 

 

 

Papua independence movement raises flag

Members of the National Liberation Army of the Free Papua Movement are reported to have raised an independence flag in the border region between Indonesia’s Papua Province and Papua New Guinea.

The Indonesian newspaper, Kompas Cyber Media website reports that the group raised a Morning Star Flag and demanded open dialogue regarding Papuan independence.

The Military Information Service says the flag was raised about one kilometre from an Indonesian Armed Forces Battalion Security Post.

It says the Armed Forces response was limited to being alert and increasing surveillance, as the police are responsible for handling such cases.

But Kompas reports the incident almost resulted in an armed clash between the separatist group and local security forces.

The Morning Star flag was eventually lowered but the Free Papua Movement refused to surrender it. Read More

Q+A attacks at Freeport mines

JAKARTA, July 24 (Reuters) – A series of shootings this month near Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc’s (FCX.N) massive Grasberg mine in Indonesia has raised concerns over the possible impact on the mine’s operations.

Grasberg has the world’s largest recoverable reserves of copper, accounting for nearly 40 percent of Freeport’s total copper reserves of 93 billion pounds, and the largest gold reserves.

Freeport said the shootings have not affected production.

Papuan police said on Friday that two people had been killed in shooting-related incidents this month: Australian technical expert Drew Grant and an unnamed security guard. At least 10 people were wounded, including seven police.

Here are some questions and answers about the situation:

WHAT’S BEHIND THESE ATTACKS?

Probably money.

With its vast natural resources — copper, gold, timber — Papua has long been regarded as a honeypot, and Freeport is Indonesia’s top tax contributor, paying $1.2 billion in royalties and other taxes in 2008. Read More

INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS FOR WEST PAPUA

STATEMENT: INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS FOR WEST PAPUA

The International Lawyers for West Papua are deeply concerned at the
arrests, detention and apparent torture of West Papuans by the
Indonesian Government.

By its actions the Indonesian Government is once more violating
international law, specifically the fundamental human rights guaranteed
by international law.

Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
states that:

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right
shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in
print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.
3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this
article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may
therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be
such as are provided by law and are necessary:
(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;
(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (order
public), or of public health or morals. Read More