Conoco told to leave Lorentz

Conoco told to leave Lorentz

JAKARTA (JP): The legislative council of Irian Jaya has asked
U.S.-based oil company PT Conoco to stop its oil exploration in
the Lorentz National Park, Antara reported on Friday.

"Provincial legislators are very concerned with the oil
exploration in the Lorentz National Park, which has been named a
world heritage site by UNESCO," the secretary of the assembly's
commission on human rights and environment, Anthonius S
Kelanangame, said here on Friday.

Anthonius said Conoco should leave the park because their
activities could harm the flora and fauna and melt the ice
covering Mt Cartenz in the Puncak Jaya district.

The Lorentz Park is located on 1,450,000 hectares of land
owned by six districts -- Puncak Jaya, Nabire, Mimika, Paniai,
Jayawijaya and Merauke.

UNESCO, in its meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, from Nov. 29,
1999 to Dec. 4, 1999, declared Lorentz Park a world heritage
site.