'West Papua can win', exiled activists say | Green Left Weekly

Papuan

British oil giant BP has signed a deal with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a $12 billion expansion of the Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in occupied West Papua.

The deal is typical of West Papua's exploitation at the hands of Indonesia and Western companies, who have pillaged the area's resources and abused its people for decades. Papuans have the lowest standard of living in Indonesia, despite the huge amount of wealth the area creates.

West Papuan activist Henk Rumbewas, who lives in exile in Australia, told Green Left Weekly: “The biggest gas project in Indonesia will be Tangguh. It's predicted there will be 100 to 200 years of gas [production]. They also recently found more oil and gas near Biak and Yapen Islands in the north, which is predicted to be bigger than Tannguh.

“The British government gave a special honour to the president because he's a puppet of the Western alliance. [Former dictator] Suharto was the first puppet of the West, now [Yudhoyono] is the second-biggest president who's a puppet of the West to ensure their interests.

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