Freeport issues should not be manipulated
Wednesday, August 2 2000 - 03:30 AM WIB
Environmental issues related to the operation of PT Freeport Indonesia in Irian Jaya should not be manipulated and politicized for the sake of certain groups of people, a senior official of the copper mining giant has said.
August Kafiar, the company's vice president for community development, said in Timika, Irian Jaya on Tuesday that the people should instead express a gratitude to the existence of the company because it had directly contributed to the improvement of the local people's welfare.
He acknowledged the company had a weakness in certain cases especially in environmental issues. "But we have to be honest and be willing to work together to solve the problem, and to find a win-win solution on the matter," he was quoted as saying by Suara Karya.
August, the former rector of the Jayapura-based University of Cenderawasih, called on the local people, politicians, the government and intellectuals to seek a fair solution with regard to the copper mining company's problem. (*)