ExxonMobil accused of involvement in Aceh human rights violation
Tuesday, November 21 2000 - 02:00 AM WIB
American oil and gas giant ExxonMobil has been accused of being involved in the human rights violation in Aceh.
The accusation was made by non-governmental organization Kontras after making investigation into the presence of military members and police officers at the company's operation in Lhoksukon, North Aceh, Tempo Interaktif online service reported.
According to Kontras' coordinator in Aceh Aguswandi BR, the American oil and gas company spent Rp 5 billion (US$=Rp 9, 446) per month to finance the operation of the military members and police officers.
"Exxon-Mobil also provides Rp 40,000 in daily pocket money for each of the military members and police officers, transportation facilities, post office, dormitory, radio, phone, and so on," Aguswandi said on Sunday evening.
Kontras found at least 17 military and police stations with a total of 1,000 personnel financed by Exxon-Mobil.
The presence of the military members and police officers had often illegally asked for money from the local people, conducted sweeping in villages near Exxon-Mobil operations, which forced the villagers to evacuate.
Aguswandi said the company just repeated the policy it had applied when Aceh was declared a military operation area. During that time, ExxonMobil provided facilities for military members.
"As such, Aceh Kontras holds Exxon-Mobil morally, politically, and legally responsible for the crimes against humanity in Aceh," Aguswandi said.
Last February, Tempo Interaktif reported that liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer PT Arun and PT Mobil Oil had also been accused by a Japanese non-governmental organization of being involved in human rights violation in Aceh.
Secretary general of Network for Indonesian Democracy Japan (NINDJA) Suseiki Natsuko said the American and Japanese governments had also been implicated in the human rights violation as they had shares in the company.
Natsuko said Japan held 15 percent shares in Arun and is the largest buyer of Indonesian LNG, while the United States had 30 percent shares in Mobil Oil.
"It's not impossible that the assistance has been used by the Indonesian government to buy military equipment to violate human rights in Aceh," Natsuko said. (*)