Officials make use of media

Officials make use of media

From Koran Tempo

I was astonished to read a news story titled Government warns
Freeport and learn that Director General for Geological and
Mineral Resources Wimpie S. Tjejep apparently sent a letter of
warning to PT Freeport Indonesia in regard to environmental
matters. Yet, the president director of PT Freeport Indonesia
Adrianto Machribie reportedly has not received such a letter.

Isn't it strange to learn that a government senior official
claims to have sent a letter to Freeport but that Freeport
president director denies ever receiving it? If we read the news
carefully, it can be surmised that Freeport president director is
telling the truth as the director general has not explained when
the letter was sent and has not shown a letter of receipt from
Freeport. Had Wimpie mentioned them, Freeport would certainly not
be able to deny it.

I, and perhaps other readers, may conclude that the director
general has made use of the mass media to attract attention and
to rebuke Freeport. Perhaps the director general expected someone
from Freeport to contact him, and then only God knows what would
have happened.

Another strange thing is that the Directorate General of
Geological and Mineral resources has not paid any attention to
some mining companies whose contracts are expiring,
such as PT Kellian Equatorial Mining and PT Newmont Minahasa
Raya. As far as I know, the director general has yet to make a
statement about it as the closing down of a mine is clearly a
crucial matter that needs serious attention from senior
government officials such as the director general for geological
and mineral resources. In the absence of this attention, I fear
these mining companies will quite easily refuse to account for
their actions.

MRS. DIAN TANIA

Banten