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Mining, oil & gas

Action needed on human rights and development

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

NGOs have called on British MPs to take action on climate justice and sustainable livelihoods, impunity, Aceh and West Papua.


In a meeting with British parliamentarians in London, June 3rd, a group of UK-based NGOs, including Down to Earth, called on the British government to take action on a range of issues related to human rights and development.

Who pays for Climate Change?

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

A DTE workshop at this year's UK climate camp drew attention to climate change concerns in Indonesia.

Multinational corporations lining up to profit from West Papua's resources

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

Another year, another set of record profits from West Papua's mineral resources.

The Westminster conference centre just alongside the UK's Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey seem a long way away from the frontier town of Timika or, for that matter, the prawn fisherfolk of Bintuni Bay in West Papua. However, each year this is the scene of the Annual General Meeting of Rio Tinto PLC, a 40% joint venture stakeholder in the expanded Grasberg mine in the highlands of West Papua.

MSM mine: community opposition continues as investor backs out

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

The Australia and UK - listed company, Archipelago Resources, is continuing preparations to mine gold in North Sulawesi, despite strong local opposition - both from communities and the provincial governor.

Tangguh - adapting to the West Papuan context?

Down to Earth No. 73, May 2007


It has been two years since Down to Earth's last detailed report on BP's huge Tangguh gas project in Bintuni Bay, West Papua. Surprisingly little has changed.


From BP's point of view much has changed at Tangguh - the project is now well into its construction phase (70% complete as of March 2007) and is due to go 'onstream' in 2008. However, the same issues, the same concerns, the same doubts keep surfacing. How can this mega-project possibly fit into the realities of West Papuan life?

North Sulawesi confronts Jakarta over MSM gold mine plans

Down to Earth No. 72 March 2007

The Toka Tindung gold mine project is now in doubt after strong opposition to Meares Soputan Mining's plans to build an open pit gold mine in a sensitive coastal area and dump mine waste into Rinondoran Bay.

A major blow came when an environmental hearing in August 2006 forced the company to alter its plans to instead use the more expensive option of disposal of tailings on land.

Freeport investor quits

Down to Earth No. 71, November 2006

Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold, operator of the Freeport-Rio Tinto gold and copper mine in West Papua, has been dropped from the US$240 billion Norwegian government pension fund for ethical reasons.