Extension of Caltex operations

Upon reading the article published in The Jakarta Post of Aug. 8, 2001, titled Riau police declare top alert in Caltex operation you cannot escape a feeling of despair. This article reveals that we can expect another disaster on top of the already existing disasters prevailing in this country, while a solution is still nowhere near.

This case concerns whether the government will decide to extend the operations of Caltex for another year.

Particularly concerning is the scenario offered by Mr. Renville explaining that Indonesia will face a potential loss of US$ 9 billion a day (if Caltex is forced to halt production). Do we not have unresolved problems here? What a sad picture for the future. Where is Indonesia heading? Bombs, terror, murders, violations of the law etc. Hopeless!

But then I read a Kompas article on page 1 of the same day saying that representatives of the local people there have accepted the year extension given by the government to Caltex. Talks were conducted by representatives of the Riau people under the chairmanship of Chaidur MM, council chairman, and the central government represented by the caretaker mining minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

The people and Pertamina have also agreed on the creation of a negotiating team to decide how to manage the CPP Bloc following expiry of the one-year extension. My reaction was a sigh of relief and surprise. How could two prominent papers give two different pictures of the same situation, one painting a dark, hopeless future and the other a bright optimistic outlook.

I sincerely hope that Kompas has given the real picture and the Post is a little behind.

Not yet fully satisfied, I tried another newspaper and found that on Aug. 8 Media Indonesia reported the same thing as Kompas, i.e. all parties have agreed to a one-year extension of the operation of Caltex.

Apart from that, Media Indonesia also reported that a four- point preparatory program was agreed to, with the aim of preparing the Riau community for managing the Caltex operations.

Now I am happy and satisfied, because the situation in Riau has been resolved and at least one problem is overcome.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta