Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, Yunus Wonda – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Members of the Papua Legislative Council have voiced their support for plans by land tenure owners of PT. Freeport’s mining area to file a lawsuit against the giant mining company.
The Chairman of Papua Legislative Council, Yunus Wonda, said the parliament backed the step.
“The copy of lawsuit has sent to the countries whose hold the Freeport’s share. People demanded the payment of the tenure right. If conversed in rupiah, it worth 600 trillion rupiahs excluding the royalty. Since it started the operation since 1967, Freeport never paid the tenure right to the community,” Yunus Wonda told last week.
Further he said what Freeport had done is not outstanding. Papuan people are still poor. No need to talk about the overall Papuans but those who live at the surrounding of Freeport’s mining are, namely Amungme, Kamoro, Damal and other indigenous tribes, are still living in poverty.
“The Central Government and the President of Freeport in Jakarta must be aware that the landowners are indigenous Papuans. Do not let the greedy behavior closes their eyes. People in Jakarta are busy talking about Freeport, they are not aware that the mining area is settled in Papua, it operates in the tenure land of indigenous Papuans,” he said.
Further, he said the Central Government should be aware about it, it’s like if someone wants to visit to someone else’s house, he should respect the host. Greed shouldn’t close the eyes of the Central Government.
“There’s land tenure owners, the local government, why should the greedy Central Officials talk about Freeport? They are not being ashamed or aware that the mining area is located in Papua. Is it Papua is no man’s land? Don’t be greed. Please involved the Papuans, the Papua Government, because the Freeport’s mining area is belong to them,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
