Real owners of natural resources

Real owners of natural resources

I found the Oct. 21 editorial about PT Freeport's contract
upsetting. How can you editors of The Jakarta Post say what you
did in the ninth paragraph: "...the local tribes (of Irian
Jaya)... were overlooked in the original contract" and then have
the audacity to say in your next breath (tenth paragraph) that
there were "...not any significant shortcomings in the 1991
contract...?"

This kind of reasoning clearly displays a mentality that is
devoid of any basic understanding of justice or fairness for the
real owners of the gold and copper mine there; it is the God-
given birthright of the Irianese, not the Americans, or this
colonialist Jakarta regime.

A 1995 Human Rights Commission report detailed rights
violations committed by PT Freeport Indonesia in collusion with
the military which in themselves provided all the grounds
necessary to renegotiate, or better, cancel their mining contract
of work.

Please refer to Governor Numberi's suggestion that all the
wealth of Irian Jaya be returned to its rightful owners and that
Irian Jaya be given full autonomy.

DAN ADAMS

Jakarta