INDONESIA

Mobil linked to environmental & human rights abuses

Like the Shell oil company, which has been the target of a concerted international campaign, Mobil has been linked to environmental and human rights atrocities in third world countries. Shell has recently backed away from some of its worst excesses, and despite the company's denials, it appears that the campaign against it has taken its toll. The following press relesase from NGOs in Sumatra, together with WALHI (Indonesian Friends of the Earth), shows that Mobil deserves to be the target of a similar campaign. A response from Mobil can be found at the end of the report.


TRANSLATION OF PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON 10 OCTOBER 1998 BY A NUMBER OF INDONESIAN NGOs IN RESPECT OF MOBIL OIL ACTIVITIES IN ACEH, INDONESIA

Mobil Oil Indonesia is a joint venture between Mobil Oil Incorporation (USA) and Pertamina (Indonesian state oil company). The contract was signed on 6.12.65 and the company's operational area is in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, in the Province of Aceh (Daerah Istimewa Aceh). Mobil Oil carries out exploration and exploitation of gas and oil which is later channelled to PT Arun for production. Mobil Oil also owns shares in PT Arun, though only a small percentage.

Mobil Oil and PT Arun operations have long been disputed, both by the local people as well as by environmental activists. Mobil Oil has been taken to court by local people, although the local people lost the case. Mobil Oil's activities in Lhokseumawe have been disputed by the local people both because of the pollution of the environment and the negligible contribution that the company has made to the local economy.

Pollution, dispossession, inadequate compensation

The company's activities, which lead to the production of LNG, Condensate, Gas, LPG/Propane, LPG/Butane, benefit itself and central government much more than the local economy. Moreover, the Mobil grounds were once the property of local people, who were forced off their land with only minimal compensation. Also, a number of incidents have occurred to the detriment of the local people, such as in 1983 when Mobil Oil's Cluster 1 discharge flooded and contaminated local padi fields and shrimp farms. Similar incidents have occurred on a number of occasions, but the local people have had no means by which to seek redress.

At one point, the people of Pu'uk village whose land was contaminated in 1992 took the company to court in Lhok Sukan, but they lost their case. In another incident in 1990, a leak from GIW 12, known as OBS III polluted the padi, orchards and other land in the village of Tanjung Krueng Pase. Another incident which was of concern to the local people was the explosion of an oil well in 1979, which was located in Cluster II. As a result of the explosion, the inhabitants of Nibong Baroh village who lived next to the well had to move to another area for a period of six months.

Military atrocities -- Mobil's connection

Such incidents were never addressed by Mobil Oil, and moreover the impression given by the company is that they just ignore problems until the local people give up. The fact that locals have for some time been somewhat reticent in raising issues concerning Mobil Oil and its activities is directly related to the strength of the military's support of the company. Moreover, two military barracks in the area were built for the military by Mobil and Arun. These are known as Post 13 and Camp Rancong.

The recent revelation of the numerous human rights abuses in Aceh have encouraged local people to come forwards and given voice to their suffering. The data has now begun to be collated and up until 25.8.98, the Indonesian Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) had already gathered evidence of the death of 781 people at the hands of the military, 163 disappearances, 368 cases of torture and have come across at least 3,000 cases of women widowed because their husbands have been killed or disappeared. The number of children orphaned as a direct result of military activity has been estimated by them as being between 15,00 to 20,000.

The data given above continues to increase, as well as the numerous harrowing accounts. Of all the victims of human rights violations in Aceh, the largest number have been perpetrated in North Aceh, and very many victims or witnesses have stated that these human rights violations have been perpetrated by Kopassus units (Indonesian special forces) which were based at Camp Rancong which is owned by PT Arun. There are also some who have said that they had been interrogated in Post 13, which is facilitated by Mobil Oil.


Based on the above, NGOs in Sumatra together with WALHI (Indonesian Friends of the Earth) issue the following press release:

MOBIL OIL AND PT ARUN MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ACEH

Mobil and Arun are the largest oil and gas companies in Indonesia and should therefore be of benefit to the people of Aceh local to their area of operation. However, it is in fact the case that these companies have brought misfortune to the people of Aceh, not only because the detrimental impact of their presence has never been seriously addressed, but moreover because of their implication in human rights abuses which have caused the suffering of the people of Aceh.

The implication of these two companies in human rights violations is in the form of their involvement with military operations in Aceh.

These can be documented as follows:

1. Mobil Oil provided specific facilities in the shape of building and contents for military Post 13. Information gathered from victims of human rights abuses indicated that a number of them were interrogated in Post 13 before being moved to other locations.

2 Mobil Oil provided heavy equipment such as escavators in order that the military could dig mass graves for its victims at Sentang Hill and Tengkorak (Skull) Hill.

3 Mobil Oil road was used in order to transport the victims of human rights violations in order to be buried on 'Skull' Hill.

4 Mobil Oil did not take issue with nor take responsibility for the number of its own employee who were kidnapped and disappeared by the military when at work.

5 PT Arun, some shares of which are owned by Mobil Oil, built Camp Rancong which was used by Kopassus in order to torture and murder victims of human rights abuses.

Because of the evidence above, we make the following demands:

1. That the United States Government take firm action against Mobil Oil in order to uphold human rights.

2. Mobil Oil and Arun must be made accountable to the people of Aceh. They should apologise to the international community, the people of Indonesia and the people of Aceh in particular. The should offer just compensation and rehabilitation to the victims of human rights abuses, as perpetrated by the military and with the support of both Mobil Oil and Arun.

3. That Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Asia should carry out their own investigation into the financial affairs of Mobil Oil, particularly in respect of their relationship with the military and its operations.

4. Urge oil and gas-consuming countries to boycott oil and gas products of both these companies should Mobil Oil and Arun shirk from their responsibilities.

Banda Aceh 10 October 1998

Signed:

Chalid Muhammad (WALHI - Indonesia Friends of the Earth)
Maimul Fidar (Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh - Coalition of Human Rights NGOs in Aceh)
Risman A Rachman (WALHI Aceh)
Dikson Aritonang (WALHI Bengkulu)
Rachmadi (WALHI West Sumatra)
Hariansyah (WALHI South Sulawesi)
Chairul Hasni (YAPDA Lhokseumawe)
Yusuf Ismail Pase (LPLH Aceh)
Zulfikar MS (Kontras Lhokseumawe - The Committee for Missing Persons and Victims)
Afrizal Tjoetra (Forum LSM Aceh - Aceh NGO Forum)
Sanusi M Syarif (YRBI Aceh) M Zul Frima Putra (YBA Aceh)
Rully Syumanda (YGHL South Aceh) Kamaludin (KPA Leuser Unsyiah)
Juli R Miansyak (KPA STIK Pante Kulu)
Aiyub Syah (YBAI)
Rahmadsyah Putra (Metalk Unsiyah)


Mobil responds to NGOs

Mobil Oil 'knows nothing' of rights abuses in Aceh.

Jakarta (JP) The management of an American-based oil company denied on Tuesday that it should share the blame for human rights abuses in Aceh, the country's northern-most province. Chief executive officer of Mobil Oil Corp., L.A. Noto, was responding to allegations by a coalition of 11 non-governmental organisations in Sumatra that military members interrogated and tortured people at some of the firm's facilities in Aceh... Although it regretted the abuses, Noto argued that the management did not know for what purposes its facilities were used. "From time to time, both state authorities and military authorities have asked us to use some construction equipment, for roads and things like that," Noto said after meeting President B.J. Habibie at the State Palace. "And generally speaking, we have tried to accommodate these requests. "Beyond that, frankly, we do not have other knowledge. And ... if anything happened because somebody used the equipment in a wrong way, I am very sorry for that, but (there is) no control over that."... Noto said he had no knowledge of missing employees.

Source: Jakarta Post 5/11/98n (excerpts)

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