Freeport COW needs to be review: Els-HAM

Human rights activist John Rumbiak called for a review of the government contract of works (COW) with gold and cooper mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia because its operation in Irian Jaya province had caused environmental degradation and human rights violations.

John Rumbiak, an activist from Els-HAM, said that Freeport also needed to made an open and honest acknowledgment over environmental and human rights problems in areas around its mining sites and promised to tackle those problems.

"There must be an open and honest acknowledgment from Freeport, concerning the environment and human rights violations committed by military personnel around its mining operations.

"And because of that, Freeport COW needs to be reviewed, and the government needs to de-militarized areas around Freeport's mining operations," he said at a workshop in Biak on Friday.

The workshop, running from Sept. 3 to Sept 9, discusses the role of the churches in Irian Jaya in defending human rights in Irian Jaya.

Former legislator Priest Wiem F. Rumsarwir and scholar Kijne Abepura, who spoke at the workshop, shared with John Rumbiak's view on the need to review Freeport COW so that the rights of the people around the mining areas would be respected.

They noted that in the revised COW, any decision from Freeport involving mining operation in Irian Jaya that affect local people's rights must be consulted with the people.

Meanwhile, Freeport's vice president for corporate communications, Yuli Ismartono, said her party acknowledged that the company's mining activities had caused negative impacts to the environment.

"But it needs to be understood that as one of the world's largest mining companies, Freeport does not close its eyes to the impacts of its mining operations," she said.

She noted that Freeport was trying to become a company that is responsible for the protection of the environment and people around its mining sites.

Also on hand at the workshop were Freeport's environmental department manager Bruce E. Marsh and the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) executive director Emmy Hafild.

According to Benny Giay, a teacher at the Wolter Post theology school, Irian Jaya, the presence of March and Emmy Hafild served as a good sign that the two parties would arrive in an agreement to improve environmental management in Freeport's mining areas. (*)