Sea pollution victims in NTT feel being betrayed; Tanoni

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (AntaraNews NTT) - Chairman of the Advocacy Team of Victims of Timor Sea Pollution Ferdi Tanoni said the people of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), victims of PTTEP's Montara oil rig explosion in 2009, felt being betrayed by Jakarta, when attempts to resolve the case was about to enter the final phase.

Indonesia has demanded compensation for the loss of livelihood of thousands of Indonesian seaweed farmers in East Nusa Tenggara.

The Montara oil spill was an oil and gas leak and subsequent slick that took place in the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia. It is considered one of Australia's worst oil disasters. The slick was released following a blowout from the Montara wellhead platform on 21 August 2009, 
     
Tanoni said former Deputy of the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs, now Indonesian ambassador to Germany Arif Havas Oegroseno, might have been behind the betrayal.

Havas Oegroseno had several times blocked attempts, both efforts by the Central government and provincial administration as well as  by the Australian government to settle the case, he said here on Sunday.

Tanoni recalled on 2 December 2016, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan invited Australian Ambassador Paul Grigson to his office to have a meeting with Arif Havas Oegroseno, Benyamin Lola representing the NTT provincial administration and himself representing the seaweed farmers.

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At that meeting Havas Oegroseno asked the Australian Government to follow up on the  Minutes of Meeting 2010 signed by then Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty and Indonesian Communications Minister Freddy Numberi.

What Havas Oegroseno had said was tantamount to blocking attempts to resolve the sea pollution case, Tanoni said.

In his capacity as Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Havas Oegroseno even invited the chief executive officer of PTTEP to a meeting in Jakarta on  23 March 2018 to discuss social aid in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from PTTEP to the victims of Timor Sea pollution victims.

"This is a condition not acceptable to the pollution victims, therefore, we ask President Joko Widodo to immediately take over to seek settlement of the case and put an end to the nine year uncertainty hurting the farmers," he said.

The hope of the people is the same as what the Australian government has hoped for to end the case, he said.

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Chairman of the Advocacy Team of Victims of Timor Sea Pollution Ferdi Tanoni (ANTARA Foto/Laurensius Molan)

Toward the end of December 2016, Deputy of Australian Ambassador Jason Lee met Arif Havas Oegroseno conveying  the readiness of the Australian Government to cooperate with the Indonesian Government and the pollution victims to find an acceptable solution to the case.

However, Havas Oegroseno turned down the initiative of the Australian government and instead threatened to bring the case to Central Jakarta district court, Tanoni said.