Protesters confront Indonesian minister

By Cameron Price

MELBOURNE -- A picket was organised outside the World Congress Centre on February 8 by Environmental Youth Alliance, the Indonesian solidarity group Aksi and Resistance to highlight environmental and human rights abuses in Indonesia.

Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, the Indonesian minister for population and the environment, was addressing the Economic Development and Clean Production Conference.

The protesters said that it was hypocritical of Kusumaatmadja to speak about economic growth or clean production while the Indonesian regime continues to ignore human rights and the environment.

“Indonesia is losing forests faster than it is replacing them”, claimed EYA spokesperson Lachlan Anderson. “The air in its cities is becoming increasingly toxic, and most of the capital's water supplies contain human waste. This is without even mentioning Indonesia's nuclear program and tourist `development' responsible for destroying large tracks of wilderness.”

Aksi spokesperson Jolyon Campbell pointed out that Indonesian workers “earn less than $1 per day, and human rights and military abuses are a daily reality”.

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