Irianese deserve better life<\/p>\n
This is in response to Mr. Edward J. Pressman's letter
\nFreeport's social commitment in The Jakarta Post on Sept. 19.<\/p>\n
Your statements (with all the supporting figures) about the
\nsituation in Irian Jaya when Freeport first arrived in l967 and
\nall the good fortune and favor Freeport has given to the Irianese
\nhas puzzled me.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya has one of the world's largest and most beautiful
\nrain forests with hundreds of rare species of flora and fauna.
\nBut the most precious richness of this particular province is its
\npeople i.e. forest people -- Amungme, Komoro, Dani and many
\nothers, that you probably refer to as backward, primitive and
\npoor.<\/p>\n
It should be realized that these people in fact play an
\nimportant role in preserving the environment. They treat their
\nland and forests as their most valuable asset, inherited from
\ntheir ancestors over thousands of years.<\/p>\n
So, Mr. Pressman, if you are trying to say that Freeport's
\nexistence in Irian Jaya has greatly benefited the Irianese people
\nit is very contradictory to the facts we have before us. Forget
\nabout giving a name to a newborn baby, they are forest people,
\nand they don't really need that. They are more concerned with
\ntheir land which is being robbed and their rights which are being
\ntrampled. Their rivers are polluted and contaminated, so these
\npeople have virtually nothing left to make their lives enjoyable.<\/p>\n
How do you feel when seeing a dirty, naked Amungme wearing a
\nkoteka? They even sometimes have to cover their koteka when
\nstrangers pass by only to prevent those people from throwing
\ncigarette ash into it. The miserable life of the tribal people is
\nnot only caused by the destruction of their environment, but also
\nby the inhuman treatment they receive from Freeport security
\nguards and Indonesian soldiers.<\/p>\n
Remember that all of the natural resources in Irian Jaya
\nbelong to the Irianese and they deserve appropriate treatment and
\nto be able to live a decent life.<\/p>\n
VIVI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irianese-deserve-better-life-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }