Shareholders join with West Papuans and Bouganvilleans to address Rio Tinto's A.G.M

Rio Tinto shareholders concerned with the company’s involvement in corruption and human right abuses, in particular linked to the operation of the giant Freeport mine in West Papua, have given their proxy votes to West Papuan and Bouganville representatives attending  the companies 2006 Annual General Meeting in Melbourne.

A West Papuan student (who will remain anonymous due to safety concerns) currently living in Melbourne and involved in the AGM protest said when the people of West Papua try to raise concerns about the corruption and environmental destruction associated with the Freeport copper and gold mine, they are met with routine intimidation and repression.

“Through the Freeport mine, Rio Tinto takes billions and billions of dollars from land that West Papuans have survived on for many years. But now we have seen the river and forest destroyed and the security forces they play around and cause trouble to justify a large budget from the Government and Rio Tinto,” the student said.

The Mineral Policy Institute (MPI), the organization co-ordinating the shareholder action views the human rights abuses and environmental devastation at Freeport as a perpetuation of the same irresponsible conduct evident at the Rio Tinto owned Panguna mine that lead to its forced closure and sparked a tragic 10 year civil war on the island of Bougainville.

Executive Director of the MPI, Techa Beaumont, said the Freeport mine has been breaching Indonesian environmental laws with impunity and corrupting due legal processes.

“Rio Tinto has provided funds that entrench the activities of military forces that have documented links to gross human rights violations. Rio Tinto cannot evade responsibility for the impacts of this operation and must address the concerns of the nearby communities and halt the operations if it cannot comply with the law," Ms Beaumont said.

"Shareholders as well as members of the Australian public are seeking a firm indication from Rio Tinto that it will stop the vandalism and unjust dispossession of peoples from their land and resources- actions that are have caused bloodshed and conflict surrounding it's projects. The Australian government needs to take action to ensure no Australian company can breach or buy their way around the applicable laws and standards, and must prevent mining projects such as Freeport and Panguna from having devastating and destabilizing impacts on the peoples of our region." Ms Beaumont continued.

Indigenous people who are impacted by the operation are limited in their capacity to speak out publicly about the mine and its impacts upon their livelihood and people due to the systematic repression of the West Papuan people by the same military forces funded by Freeport.

Moses Havini, the International Representative for Bouganville has called for radical change to the destructive environmental and social practices of Rio Tinto and other mining companies in their operations in the  region.  Recent news that Rio Tinto’s is holding talks regarding the reopening of the Panguna mine whose social and environmental  sparked a civil war have met concern and outrage. Concerns have been rasied that the  essential commitments and necessary discussions with local people are not taking place. 

“Mining companies must radically change their terms of agreement with traditional landowners in the Pacific region. Firstly further independent environmental impact studies must be carried out before any decisions are made regarding mining in Panguna or elsewhere.  Secondly, the traditional landowners be given 50% share of any mining venture, and their right to free, prior and informed consent for any developments respected. Thirdly, mining companies in the Pacific must not pump their tailings any more into the river systems or into the seas.”

According to industry presentations, Freeport produces copper cheaper than anywhere else in the world, indeed, at around a quarter of the rate of all other copper producers except the  disasterous Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea (which still produces copper at double the price of Freeport.) 

 Ethical Shareholders, such as John Poppins, are concerned that Rio Tinto is failing to meet even its own policy commitments.

"We want assurance our company does not seek exemptions to applicable legislation and that they will immediately comply with the relevant national laws, as well as the company's own publicly stated commitments," Mr Poppins said.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, who will be addressing the crowd at a protest outside the A.G.M, claims ‘extra-territorial legislation’ is needed to force Australian companies operating overseas to abide by and be accountable to, Australian law.

“Companies such as Rio Tinto simply can not continue to blindly chase profits regardless of the social and environmental impacts of their operations. This AGM presents an opportunity for us as concerned Australians, to let Rio Tinto know we will not turn a blind eye to its involvement in human right abuses,” Ms Nettle said.

For more information, please contact:

Techa Beaumont
Executive Director

Workphone: +61 2 9557 9019
Mobile: +61 (0) 409 318 406

Created: 03 May 2006 | Last updated: 03 May 2006

This page: http://www.mpi.org.au/ campaigns/militarism/RioTinto_AGM2006/

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