Freeport's conflict of interest
Recently, PT Freeport Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local Irianese. Later on Aug. 22, 2000, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert S. Gelbard responding to an article in The Jakarta Post dated Aug. 16, 2000 -- U.S. supports Papuan struggle, says Beanal, said he was deeply disappointed with the article. What actually happened between the ambassador, Beanal and Freeport?
In his interview with the Washington Times, published on Aug. 29, 2000, Gelbard said that foreign terrorist groups were trying to burrow in and implant themselves in Indonesia while the country's security forces wasted their time demonizing the United States. Furthermore, he bluntly criticized some members of President Abdurrahman Wahid's Cabinet saying that their appointment was shocking, singling out State Minister for the Environment Sonny Keraf.
These statements showed a rude, boasting, colonizing and irresponsible attitude. As an ambassador he should be responsible for and promote better bilateral ties between the two countries -- U.S. and Indonesia. My interpretation of his statements are that U.S. wants to take advantage of Indonesia's multidimensional crisis by putting all the blame on the current government, especially on the military, in the hope that all U.S. mistakes would be covered.
Now, the U.S. and Freeport face a serious threat as the Papuan Congress ended with a declaration that Irian Jaya was no longer part of the Republic of Indonesia and in which Tom Beanal became the deputy chairman of the Papuan Presidium. No wonder the ambassador met him twice and Freeport appointed him as one of its commissioners.
The world knows that the biggest mistake the U.S. has done is to allow and keep its mouth shut on the environmental catastrophe being caused by Freeport to the surrounding operating area. The U.S. understands very well the standard guidelines that a giant mining company must fulfill to protect the environment and former state minister for the environment Sonny Keraf was also aware of this.
To overcome this hassle, freeport signed a MOU with Lemasa, the Amungme people's organization; and Lemasko, the Kamoro people's organization, regarding socio-economic resources, and human, land and environmental rights. Again, one of the chairmen of the organization was Tom Beanal. He, through his foundation, also owns some huge land in the Timika area and runs several activities to enrich himself by using his own countrymen.
What Freeport is trying to do is the same as it did previously. During the New Order regime, Timika had a Koperasi (a cooperative) controlled by the company. The Koperasi workers were all from Freeport. Honestly, the people who ran the Koperasi made twice as much income -- income from Freeport and the Koperasi. The Koperasi didn't benefit or educate the people. Surprising, it lasted for 30 years and basically made the locals slaves and the Koperasi the landlord.
Freeport's current ways of dealings with the Irianese people are not different from the way it handled social problems in the area in the past.
Is Freeport still trying to control the locals with their power or are they trying to enrich them?
PARLINDUNGAN SIBARANI
Jakarta