Irianese, Freeport victims of political conspiracy

The Reconciliation Forum for Irianese (Foreri) said that Irianese and PT Freeport Indonesia had become a victim of political conspiracy between the Indonesian and U.S. governments.

The coordinator for Foreri's Biak-Numfor branch, Dicky Iwanggin, said that the core of the problems arising from the mining operation of PT Freeport Indonesia in Irian Jaya was the signing of the New York agreement on August 15, 1962 for the holding of referendum in Irian Jaya slated for 1969.

Dicky said that when Freeport's contract of works with the government was signed in 1967, Irian Jaya was politically in a state of status quo. However, the governments of Indonesia and the U.S. were too hasty to make the signing of Freeport's COW realized two years before the slated referendum.

This showed that there was political conspiracy between the Indonesian and U.S. governments. In one hand, Indonesia needed the investment and U.S. backing through Freeport over Irian Jaya, while the U.S. would need the money from Irian Jaya.

"Because of those interests, the fate and futures of Papuans had been victimized, and so was Freeport's. Freeport, notably a U.S. company, suffers the same fate," he said.

Meanwhile, Priest Baas Wemblolo said that it was impossible for the Indonesian government, especially the Papuans, to reject the presence of big companies such as Freeport in Irian Jaya. (*)