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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Indonesia tribe sues US mining company for environmental and rights abuses

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] An indigenous tribe in Indonesia on Thursday filed a $30 million lawsuit against a subsidiary of US mining company Freeport-McRoRan Copper & Gold for numerous environmental and human rights violations. The Amungme people are suing PT Freeport for damages to their ancestral lands in the Papua province, claiming that they are the rightful owners of the 2.6 million hectares on which the mine is located because the 1967 contract between the Indonesian government and Freeport was executed without their approval. The plaintiffs also allege that they were promised an annual fee of $1 million that was never received. Also named as defendants are the Indonesian government and PT Indocopper Investama, an investment company with a stake in Freeport. The South Jakarta District Court appointed a judge to seek a mediated settlement between the parties. Freeport's Indonesian facility is the world's largest gold mine. It has been a frequent target of environmental and human rights groups. The mine has been the site of several recent violent attacks. Last month, charges were filed against two mine employees after a series of ambushes and attacks left three dead and several others wounded.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 07, 2009 (boomark / email).