Don't shut down Freeport: Izaac Hindom

Member of the President Advisory Council (DPA) from the West Papua province Izaac Hindom said on Thursday that the government must not close down the operation of goal mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia, which had been alleged of environmental destruction and corruption practices in the past.

Izaac, who's also a former governor of West Papua, was quoted by the Kompas daily as saying that Indonesia should take advantage of Freeport's existence to the benefit of the country.

"We want other large foreign firms like Freeport to invest in other parts of the country," he said.

He was speaking to the press in response to plans by the prominent Walhi environmental watchdog to distribute thousands of post cards to gather support to push the government to review Freeport mining contract.

Izaac also said that Freeport must "not close its eyes" to the various problems in the local area.

He lambasted Walhi's plans to gather support for the closing down of Freeport operation.

"Walhi can only criticize. But they never do something to improve the welfare of the Papua people," Izaac said, adding that Freeport on the other hand had contributed to the development and modernization of the West Papua people.

Separately, the Media Indonesia daily quoted Pertamina senior official Soehoed Reksosoekarto as saying on Thursday that the state oil and gas firm had enjoyed a fee from Freeport by allowing the latter to import its own fuel necessity.

Soehoed could not give the fee figure.

Freeport public relations chief Yuli Ismartono said that Freeport had to import its industrial diesel need from Mobil Oil Singapore because Pertamina's product was not suitable.

She said that Freeport didn't provide any fee for Pertamina, but Mobil Oil did. (*)