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. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ACFOA agreement AMDAL Amungme approximately associated audit Bakrie Banti BAPEDAL Baseline Study Beanal believed Bob Hasan Bre-X Busang claimed company's concession area criticism culture Dames and Moore December E-mail economic environment environmental Ertsberg exploitation forced foreign mining Freeport concession Freeport security Freeport-McMoRan funds Ginandjar Grasberg groups highlands human rights violations indigenous Indone industry interest interview investment Irian Jaya issues Jakarta Post Jayapura John Rumbiak Kamoro kilometers Komnas HAM land rights LEMASA lowlands ment military million mineral mining company minister Montgomery Watson Moreover needed negotiations NGOS Nusamba operations OPIC overburden pany Papuans Paul Murphy percent political president pressure pribumi problems programs PT Freeport Indonesia Puncak Jaya region relationship response social Suharto government Suharto regime Sukarno sukus tailings Tembagapura Timika tion traditional landowners transmigrants transnational village WALHI Wanagon West Papua yayasans