Riau NGO sues Habibie
JAKARTA (JP): A Riau non-governmental organization went to court on Monday, demanding that President B.J. Habibie and the government pay US$23 billion compensation for 46 years of oil exploitation in the Sumatran province.
A lawyer of the Institute of Riau Cultural Studies, Kapitra Ampera, told the Pekanbaru District Court that his client decided to sue Habibie after he broke his promise to return 10 percent of oil revenue the province contributed to the state budget.
The institute has also filed suit against the minister of home affairs, state oil company Pertamina, American oil company Caltex and the governor of Riau.
None of the defendants appeared or sent lawyers to represent them at the first hearing of the civil case. Presiding judge Theresia Simanjuntak reprimanded the defendants for "ignoring the supremacy of law" and ordered them to obey the court's summons when the trial resumes in two weeks.
Kapitra said Habibie made the promise to 20 representatives of the Riau Reform Joint Movement (GKRMR) when they met at Bina Graha presidential office on July 30 last year. Kapitra claims that Habibie turned a deaf ear, apparently due to his daily business, when GKRMR and Riau's elders council reminded him of his promise in January, according to the plaintiff.
Judge Theresia evicted a student for swearing during the hearing. Some 100 people, mostly students, attended the first session of the trial.
Poet reading performed by an indigenous Sakai tribesman marked the opening of the hearing.
Tabrani Rab, head of the cultural institute, said the lawsuit was part of Riau people's longtime quest for fair revenue sharing.
"The judges offered us an out-of-court settlement, but we are persisting with our demand," said Tabrani, a doctor who leads a movement in search of economic sovereignty of local people in the province. Tabrani said many local people had lived in poverty despite the fact the province produced at least 800,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
"For decades we have not enjoyed our own wealth, but instead experienced pollution and destroyed forests," he said.
He warned the government of rampant hostility across the country if it failed to heed provinces' demands for fair revenue sharing.
Local military and police have summoned Tabrani, asking for clarification of the movement which has drawn support mostly from students and intellectuals. (amd)