The Politics of Power: Freeport in Suharto's IndonesiaEven as Major General Suharto consolidated his power in the bloodletting of the mid-sixties, Freeport-McMoRan, the American transnational mining company, signed a contract with the new military regime, the first foreign company to do so. Today, in the isolated jungles of West Papua, a region that is increasingly restive under Indonesian rule, Freeport lays claim to the world's largest gold mine and one of its richest and most profitable copper mines. This volume is the first major analysis of the company's presence in Indonesia. It takes a close and detailed look at the changing nature of power relations between Freeport and Suharto, the Indonesian military, the traditional landowners (the Amungme and Kamoro), and environmental and human rights groups. It examines how and why an American company, despite such rigorous home-state laws, was able to operate in West Papua with impunity for nearly thirty years and adapt to, indeed thrive in, a business culture anchored in corruption, collusion, and nepotism. |
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Contents
Chapter | 1 |
Business in Indonesia | 16 |
Chapter 3 | 38 |
Chapter 4 | 58 |
Chapter 9 | 62 |
The Difficulties of Development | 85 |
Chapter 6 | 115 |
The Environment | 155 |
Chapter 8 | 187 |
Freeport and TNI | 220 |
Chapter 10 | 248 |
Notes | 261 |
315 | |
337 | |
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Common terms and phrases
able accept According accountability activities agreement Amungme approximately argues associated attempt became become believed called capital claimed close committed company's concerns concession continue contract copper criticism culture demands economic effectively environment environmental existing failed Finally forced foreign formed Freeport Freeport Indonesia Freeport-McMoRan funds given gold Grasberg groups human rights increase independence indigenous Indonesian industry interest interview investment involved issues Jakarta Kamoro land landowners living March ment military million mineral mining mining company Moreover move natural needed NGOs noted officially operations organizations Papuans percent political position president pressure problems programs regard regime region relations relationship remained representative response result river shares signed social Study Suharto tailings Timika tion traditional United village violations wealth West Papua
Popular passages
Page 331 - Can the Javanese Do Business?: The Awakening of Indigenous Capitalists in Indonesia." In Leadership on Java: Gentle Hints, Authoritarian Rule, ed. Hans Antlov and Sven Cederroth. Surrey: Curzon Press. 1994. Reich, Carv. The Life of Nelson A. Rorkefeller: Worlds to Conquer 1908-1958. New York: Doubleday, 1996. Rhiannon, Lee. "Feeding the Politics of Drought.