Riau NGO sues Habibie

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)