Jokowi Asked To Cancel Australia Visit Over Montara Oil Spill

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (Antara NTT) - President Joko Widodo has been asked to cancel plan to visit Australia next year over Montara oil spill causing heavy pollution in Timor Sea in 2009.

"Australia seems to continue to shirk responsibility over the damage to the environment caused by the oil spill in the Timor Sea," chairman of the Yayasan Peduli Timor Barat (YPTB) Ferdi Tanoni told reporters here on Monday.

The Australian government has always tried to escape from its responsibility as said by its foreign Minister Julie Bishop in her letter to the Indonesian government.

"We have never been approached by the government of Indonesia and asked to help the people suffering as a result of the Timor sea pollution by the oil spill," Tanoni quoted Bishop as saying in the letter.

However, when the Indonesian government sent a letter asking for cooperation in settling the sea pollution case, Australia rejected any obligation by saying that it has no jurisdiction in the water territory of other country.

"Our government has given the authority to jointly settle the case of Montara oil spill but they still tried to shirk responsibility," Tanoni said.

The Montara oil spill occurred on 21 August 2009, when the Montara wellhead exploded in Australian waters of the Timor Sea.

The spill flowed unabated for 74 days until 3 November 2009, and was to become the largest offshore spill in Australian history.

To control the spill, Australian authorities sprayed dispersants (some known to be toxic and carcinogenic to human life) on the oil. Years past but there is still no justice on Montara oil spill.

Since the spill, communities such as seaweed farmers, in the Indonesian province closest to Australia, East Nusa Tenggara, have continued to protest that damage has been caused to their communities and economy.

To date, no investigation has taken place within Indonesian waters examining the extent of the damage, and not a cent of compensation has been paid.