Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jayapura (Agenzia Fides) - The contracts signed by the Indonesian government with big multinational companies for the exploitation of mineral resources in Papua (or Irian Jaya) do not give any benefit to indigenous peoples", on the contrary "they create many problems related to safety, environmental sustainability , of violation to their ancestral rights": this is what the Churches of Papua say to the Indonesian government, asking to revise the contract signed with the American mining company Freeport Mc Moran.
As reported in a note of the "Communion of Churches in Papua to Fides", so far the presence of foreign firms in the region has not brought benefits to the population, but only problems: "the indigenous people of Papua are holders of customary rights in the territories, that are completely ignored". Furthermore, with the arrival of foreign companies, the problems of security in the region have increased: in past days Freeport was accused of being involved in the killing of some Indians who were protesting against the presence of the company.
The Indonesian government has strong economic ties with Freeport: The multinational company has just paid a tranche of 678 million dollars as compensation for the agreement for the extraction of mineral resources in Indonesia. Since 1992 the company has paid the government in Jakarta more than 12.1 billion dollars.
In recent days, at the conclusion of a joint conference between the civil and religious leaders, the Churches of Papua submitted to the government a document with 22 recommendations, calling for a revised contract with Freeport. Christian leaders claim their role in helping resolve the crucial problems in Papua: human development, education, cultural development and spiritual formation of the population. They express their support to the "special territorial autonomy" of Papua, to build responsibly - and not mortifying - local communities. The Churches of Papua work in defense of life, rights, and social advancement of indigenous communities, whose members are often regarded as "second class citizens" and in fact marginalized and discriminated against in their own province. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 09/06/2011)
