25 Mar 2013

Papuan leaders call for more indigenous say in resource projects

4:12 pm on 25 March 2013

The Papuan Traditional Council has set up the Papuan People's Mining Association to keep an eye on mining activities in the resource rich Indonesian region.

The Jakarta Post quotes the Council saying the benefits of mining developments often bypass Papua's indigenous people.

One of the Association's founders, John Gobay, says the Papuan people are the rightful owners of the province yet are often treated as spectators, with their natural resources taken somewhere else by investors.

The head of the Baliem Traditional Council, Lemock Mabel, says indigenous people should be involved in mining activities regardless of their poor mastery of current technology or access to capital.

He says investors also need to pay attention to preserving nature as part of their activities.