Richard Di Natale’s Political Propaganda Against British Petroleum and Indonesia

I see a lot of political writing that reads smoothly, has rhythm, but ultimately makes no sense. Richard Di Natale’s article: Green Leader Richard Di Natale Calls For BP Rethink On West Papuan Gas Field is one of them. In short, this article is a typical cheap propaganda based on unreliable sources to convince readers that BP should rethink their investment and project. 

Today I want to share a copy paste short comment from Mario Dinata responding to the New Matilda unreliable report with title BP in West Papua – Slow Motion Genocide, High Speed Profit, which more like a political propaganda in the New Matilda facebook. Please read Mario Dinata comment:

After reading your article about BP in Teluk Bintuni, there are some points that come to my attention which are completely incorrect and misguided.

1. Slow Motion Genocide.
When you accuse anyone or any country conducting genocide, you should take that seriously by supporting it with proper and open data and facts which I cannot find in your article. If you tried to make genocide as an argument in West Papua based on race sentiment, then you can point your finger to Australia where aborigines become minority in their own land. Comparing to any other natives in Pacific Countries, Papuans take all important positions in politics, security, and military institution. All of the governors and regents/mayors are native. Compare it to Australia when it comes to representation. Quick google only gave me 8 names of aborigines taking position as members of parliament during the whole history of the country.

2. Papua as occupied territory by Indonesian military
Please read more and check your sources. West Papua was an occupied territory of the Dutch just like the rest of Indonesia. Indonesia went to UN not to claim West Papua, but to defend it from the Dutch illegal detachment. The UN accepted Indonesia’s proposal of Paragraph 6 of UNGA Resolution 1514 (WP Paragraph), and finally the Dutch gave up. Please read UN Doc A/PV.947 (14 December 1960). West Papua with the rest of Indonesia has exercised self-determination on 1945.

3. Health system in Teluk Bintuni. 
You only mention BP sponsored health clinic without giving any info about any other health service in Teluk Bintuni. A quick google search about health service in Teluk Bintuni will give you articles about high class public hospital (the best in the province) and a floating hospital currently serving people of Teluk Bintuni.

4. Reality and facts
Your article is not a real jurnalism, your arguments are baseless and pure political propaganda. You have no credentials in listing those accusations. I cannot find any reliable facts as a base of your argument in this article.

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I fully agree with Mario Dinata’s comment. BP has a long story of over 45 years operating history in Indonesia. Safety, Environment and Society are three fundamental factors that BP always prioritise. BP’s projects and operations in Papua have the potential to affect local communities in a positive way by creating jobs, generating tax revenue, providing opportunities for local suppliers and supporting community development initiatives.

 

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