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.