Minggu, 25 Desember 2011

Bima, Sudut Kecil Ruang Hidup Rakyat

Pius Ginting

Sekali masa, Marx menulis surat bahwa era kapital pada masa pertengahan abad 19 belum mendekati usai. Ruang luas untuk berkembang masih tersedia. Kapital baru berkembang di sudut kecil dunia (a little corner of the world), benua Eropa Barat. Banyak ruang benua belum dieksploitasi, jadi sumber bahan mentah dan lalu pasar tambahan. Tambang di Papua belum lagi dipetakan, bahkan riwayat panjang tambang timah di pulau Bangka oleh kapital Belanda baru dimulai tahun 1850.

Kini, awal abad 21. Kapital benar-benar menguasai semua ruang hidup. Sebaliknya, ruang hidup rakyatlah yang tersisa tinggal sudut-sudut kecil. Perusahaan perkebunan, pertambangan, industri kayu menempati sebagian besar ruang hidup di Indonesia dan negeri terbelakang lainnya. Tak hanya di darat, di laut pun ruang hidup rakyat terdesak ekspansi kapital. Sengketa rakyat dan kapital terjadi di lepas pantai Teluk Tolo, pulau Tiaka, Kabupaten Morowali, Sulawesi Tengah Agustus 2011 adalah salah satu contoh.

Kapital telah mengeksploitasi hampir sempurna semua benua, ruang hidup rakyat. Kapital telah hisap minyak Indonesia lewat beragam bendera korporasi, seperti Caltex (kini Chevron), Shell dan lainnya hingga Indonesia telah lewati puncak produksi minyaknya tahun 1977.

Di negeri terbelakang, salah satu prioritas kapital adalah memakan sumber daya alam, sektor yang perlu lahan luas. Ekspansi kapital terhadap sisa-sisa terakhir ruang hidup rakyat tak terelakkan menimbulkan konflik intens. Kapital yang menghidupi diri di sektor sumber daya alam membutuhkan ruang luas, dan bagaimanapun rakyat perlu ruang hidup. Penghujung tahun 2011 kembali terjadi konflik rakyat dengan kapital, yakni di Bima, pulau Sumbawa, NTB.

Luas Pulau Sumbawa adalah 14.386 km persegi. Di sebelah barat, telah terdapat tambang Newmont Nusa Tenggara. Kini menguasai ruang seluas 13,2 kilometer persegi untuk tambang Batu Hijau.[1] Newmont mengklaim memiliki tiga blok tambang lain ke arah timur, yakni Lunyuk Utara, Elang, Rinti, dan Teluk Panas. Keseluruhan blok baru ini akan membutuhkan lahan lebih luas dibanding tambang Batu Hijau. Belum lagi penggunaan ruang lautan yang terdampak limbah tambang, kini besarnya 140.000 ton per hari (21 kali harian sampah kota Jakarta) dibuang ke Teluk Senunu, sebelah barat daya Pulau Sumbawa. Sebelah timur Pulau Sumbawa adalah Kabupaten Bima.


Pilkada dan Izin Pertambangan


Tanggal 28 April 2010 adalah tanggal disahkannya paket 15 buah izin usaha pertambangan oleh Bupati Bima. Adalah janggal izin pertambangan dikeluarkan sebanyak itu sekaligus di tingkat Kabupaten, mengingat pertambangan membutuhkan ruang yang luas. PT. SMN dapatkan IUP bernomor 188/45/357/004/2010, seluas 24.980 Ha; dan PT. Indo Mineral Cipta Persada mendapatkan 3 Izin Usaha Pertambangan. Luas Izin Usaha Produksi mineral logam minimal 5.000 (lima ribu) hektare dan maksimal 100.000 (seratus ribu) hektar, menurut Undang-undang Pertambangan Mineral dan Batubara.

Luas ke-15 izin perusahaan tersebut jauh di atas luas minimum, seperti tambang SMN. Kelima belas izin ini dikeluarkan dua bulan jelang Pilkada Bima, 7 Juni 2010. Sudah sering dilaporkan aktivis dan media bahwa para kepala daerah yang ikut lagi dalam ajang pilkada obral izin untuk dapatkan dana pemenangan. Ridha Saleh, dari Komnas HAM menyatakan dana izin pertambangan dimanfaatkan oleh kepala daerah incumbent untuk menghimpun dana kampanye pilkada. Indikasinya, pemerintah daerah royal mengeluarkan izin pertambangan menjelang pemilihan kepala daerah.[2]

Pilkada Bima 2010 tergolong sengit, bahkan kantor partai kandidat yang menang pilkada dibakar warga yang kecewa calonnya kalah. Kesengitan tentu berbanding lurus dengan biaya yang dikeluarkan. Sengketa pilkada ini pun berlanjut ke Mahkamah Konstitusi, namun pengadilan tetap memenangkan kandidat incumbent yang keluarkan izin tambang tersebut.


Kian tumbuh, kian mendominasi ruang hidup rakyat


PT SMN beroperasi di kecamatan Lambu dan Kecamatan Sape. Dalam mengerjakan proyek tambang di Bima, perusahaan ini mengajak Arch Exploration, perusahaan tambang terdaftar di Australia. PT.SMN tampaknya dipasang untuk mendapatkan izin-izin dari bupati. Di samping Bima, PT SMN juga koalisi dengan Arch Exploration untuk proyek tambang emas di Trenggalek, Jawa Timur.

Managing Director Arch Exploration Limited, John Carlile seorang geologis lebih dari 30 tahun bekerja di eksplorasi emas di perusahaan BHP dan Newcrest (perusahaan induk Nusa Halmahera Mineral, NHM) di Asia, Indonesia. Sebelumnya, sebagai manajer ekplorasi bagi tambang Newcrest Mining, John bertanggung jawab bagi pembangungan dan pengelolaan eksplorasi, akuisisi dan sejumlah aktivitas korporasi yang berujung pada penemuan jutaan ons emas di Gosowong, Kabupaten Halmahera Utara.

John Carlile bisa saja melihat dengan mata sendiri Rusdi Tungapi mati ditembak polisi pada tahun 2006 setelah aksi rakyat sekitar tambang menolak hutan dan tanah pertanian mereka dirusak operasi pertambangan di sekitar Teluk Kao, Halmahera. Berdasarkan penuturan, warga yang protes dikumpulkan, disuruh jongkok. Oleh komandan kepolisian, Rusdi Tungkapi disuruh berdiri dan maju ke depan. Ditembak di depan manajer dan staf perusahaan. Sayang, rekaman media tidak ada seperti kejadian di Pelabuhan Sape, di Bima. Tapi melihat kejadian penembakan di Bima terhadap rakyat dalam posisi yang tak menyerang sama sekali, tampaknya kekejaman kepolisian tersebut masuk akal terjadi.

John ditunjuk menjadi Managing Director Arc Exploration pada tahun 2008[3]. Sebagai eksekutif di perusahaan, dia memastikan budaya kerja perusahaan dan perwakilan ideologi perusahaannya dalam pelaksanaan misi perusahaan. Dia menerapkan perubahan di perusahaan untuk “meningkatkan efesiensi dan meningkatkan keuntungan bagi perusahaan”.

Arc Exploration mengeluhkan penolakan masyarakat yang tergabung dalam Front Rakyat Anti Tambang di Bima pada bulan Febuari 2010. Rakyat yang akrab dengan tanah dan laut hidup sebagai petani dan nelayan tentu peka akan daya dukung lingkungan bagi kehidupan mereka. Bima sebelah timur berbatasan laut dengan Kabupaten Manggarai Nusa Tenggara Timur. Di Kabupaten ini penolakan masyarakat terhadap tambang membuat Bupati yang baru saja menang Pilkada tahun 2010 mengeluarkan surat menghentikan semua kegiatan izin pertambangan.

Untuk tetap menjalankan operasi tambangnya, Arch Exploration nyatakan dalam Quarter Activities Report Juni 2011 akan melakukan diskusi dan pertemuan intens dengan pejabat pemerintah. Lalu, 29 November 2011, perusahaan nyatakan memulai kembali operasinya.[4] Rakyat agraris yang sangat tergantung kepada alam dalam setiap hari kehidupannya tentu merasa terancam dengan kegiatan tambang yang membongkar lapisan tanah yang bisa dicocoktanami. Berlanjutnya kembali kegiatan tambang inilah yang mendorong warga melakukan aksi protes hingga melakukan aksi pendudukan di Pelabunan Sape, Kabupaten Bima.

Di jajaran direktur Arc Exploration, terdapat George Tahija. Sebagai direktur non eksekutif, dia terlibat dalam perencanaan dan pembuatan kebijakan perusahaan, mengawasi mendorong kinerja direktur eksekutif dan manajemen. Pada saat yang sama dia juga sebagai seorang Komisaris Freeport Indonesia. George adalah anak Julius Tahija.

Julius pernah jadi sersan tentara KNIL, lalu menjadi Ketua Dewan Direksi PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (kini Chevron) pada tahun 1966, saat Orde Baru membukakan pintu lebar bagi investasi asing di Indonesia. Julius bisa meraih jabatan tertinggi di Caltex tentunya tak terlepas dari jasanya menyelamatkan perusahaan tersebut dinasionalisasi pada tahun 1950-1965 karena kedekatan eratnya dengan Sukarno. Julius dan petinggi Caltex lainnya mendorong agar Freeport melakukan investasi di Indonesia pada tahun 1965[5]. Atas jasanya, Julius diberikan saham oleh Freeport. Padahal, pemerintah sendiri sebagai representasi kepentingan publik Indonesia tidak mendapatkan saham dari Freeport pada masa tersebut.

George adalah salah seorang personifikasi kapital yang terus berkembang, dari generasi bapaknya awal masa Orde Baru hingga awal abad 21, berusaha dapatkan ruang baru untuk berkembang. Kendati itu bertabrakan dengan ruang hidup rakyat.

William Liddle, Profesor Emeritus Ilmu Politik Universitas Ohio, tanggal 8 Desember 2011 dalam orasinya pada Nurcholish Madjid Memorial Lecture V, didukung perusahaan tambang Newmont Nusa Tenggara menyebutkan “ekonomi kapitalis pasar sebagai sistem ekonomi yang paling baik.”[6] Anjuran dia, “kita perlu meninggalkan tradisi teoretisi sosial Karl Marx dan menggantikannya dengan pendekatan filsuf politik Niccolo Machiavelli. Pendekatan Marx terjerumus dalam perang antarkelas dan kurang peka pada cara-cara lain untuk menambah dan meratakan sumber daya politik. Sebaliknya, pendekatan Machiavelli terfokus pada peran individu selaku aktor mandiri yang memiliki, menciptakan, dan memanfaatkan sumber daya politik demi pencapaian tujuannya. Sang individu ciptaan Machiavelli merupakan basis yang menjanjikan buat sebuah theory of action, teori tindakan.”

Sungguh, tindakan Brimob Polda NTB adalah sebuah tindakan Machiavellis. Moralitas pribadi dan publik harus dilepaskan dalam mengatur. Penguasa harus bisa bertindak tak sesuai moral, secara metodik lakukan kekerasan, penipuan dan sejenisnya.

Pilihan waktu penyerangan saat akhir pekan, jelang liburan Natal dan Tahun Baru, diharapkan kurangi perhatian publik. Mengulang kembali kesuksesan penembakan Yurifin dan rakyat Kolo Bawah diatas perahu kecil lepas Pantai Tolo, Kabupaten Morowali, Sulawesi Tengah, usai protes atas ingkar janji kesejahteraan oleh Medco-Pertamina, di Pulau Tiaka. Serangan sukses. Komandan, Anggota Kepolisian, personel Perusahaan tidak ada yang diadili atas pelanggaran HAM atau pidana, atas hilangnya nyawa rakyat bersenjatakan semangat penyelamatan ruang hidup!

Tapi rakyat Bima, Kolo Bawah, Mesuji, sekitar Teluk Kao dll tidak akan bisa diam lama. Karena mereka sungguh terdesak di sudut kecil ruang hidup yang tersisa. Ke mana lagi mereka pergi? Atau bakar diri bersama, bapak, ibu, anak, depan kantor Bupati?


[1] http://www.infomine.com/minesite/minesite.asp?site=batuhijau

[2] http://www.vhrmedia.com/Obral-Izin-Tambang-Menjelang-Pilkada--berita4489.html

[3] http://www.arcexploration.com.au/IRM/Company/ShowPage.aspx/PDFs/1131-51684774/WiseOwlIndonesianGold

[4] http://www.arcexploration.com.au/IRM/Company/ShowPage.aspx/PDFs/1497-50502448/ExplorationRecommencesatBima

[5] Denise Leith, The Politics of Power, Freeport in Soeharto’s Indonesia, University Hawai’i Press 2003

[6] http://www.paramadina.or.id/2011/12/09/publikasi/artikel/marx-atau-machiavelli.html



***

Selasa, 31 Mei 2011

Rabu, 25 Mei 2011

True Cost of Chevron Around the Globe

IMG_7334

5/24/11 press event in San Francisco, where community leaders from Nigeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Alaska, Texas, across California, and other communities that are negatively impacted by Chevron's operations gathered at a Chevron gas station to expose the harms Chevron causes in the communities where they and their members live, work and play.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/justiceinnigerianow/albums/72157626798205140


Days before oil giant’s annual shareholder meeting, local and international community leaders from Nigeria to Ecuador to Richmond reveal firsthand reality of Chevron’s operations are not what is seen on TV.
- Interview Available Now -

WHAT: Press Conference, Report Release, and Chevron Toxic Tour
WHEN: Tuesday, May 24 at 10am
WHERE:
Starts at Chevron Gas Station
1298 Howard Street (9th & Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103-2712

WHY: On May 25, dozens of local, national, and international community leaders and advocates from and for communities harmed by Chevron’s operations from Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Alaska, Texas, and more will attend the company’s annual shareholder meeting in San Ramon, California while supporters rally outside to demand that Chevron agree to change its ways.

As oil and gasoline prices -- and public outrage at the generous government subsidies handed out daily to the oil industry – are on the rise, Fortune Magazine announced that for the fourth year in a row, Chevron -- California’s largest company -- is the nation’s third largest corporation and the world’s sixth largest. Chevron brought in nearly $20 billion in profits last year. What did it do with its vast wealth? According to its Annual Report and the actors in its “We Agree” Ad campaign, Chevron supported human rights, alternative energy, the environment, and local economies.

The reality is much different and the people who know best will expose the true cost of Chevron in three ways:

  1. With the release of The True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report.

  2. Embargoed until May 24, the report includes accounts by more than 40 authors – led by those on the front lines of Chevron’s operations -- recording egregious corporate behavior in locations as diverse as California, Burma, Colombia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines and the U.S. Gulf Coast, including new sections detailing Chevron’s pursuit of ever-riskier and ever-deeper offshore projects in the South China Sea, the North Sea, and the Canadian Arctic and its role in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The report also profiles the historic victory and ongoingbattle over Chevron's crimes in Ecuador.


  3. Many report authors have traveled to the Bay Area to be available to speak at the Press Conference, including:

  4. Humberto Piaguaje, Amazon Defense Coalition, Ecuador
    Emem Okon, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Nigeria
    Elias Isaac, Open Society Initiative, Angola
    Jessica Tovar, Communities for a Better Environment, Oakland, CA
    Mardan Pius Ginting, WALHI - Friends of the Earth Indonesia, Indonesia
    Gitz Crazyboy (Ryan Deranger), First Nation Dene/Pikini (Blackfoot), Alberta, Canada
    Antonia Juhasz, Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA, co-editor of the True Cost of Chevron report.


  5. Following the press conference, a Toxic Tour of Chevron’s operations in Richmond will be led by local activists for the press and our national and international allies.

Extra info:
Contact: Antonia Juhasz True Cost of Chevron antonia@globalexchange.org 415-846-5447


http://www.globalexchange.org/news/truth-behind-big-oil-exposed

www.TrueCostofChevron.com

Minggu, 01 Mei 2011

Chevron in Indonesia - An Alternative 2010 Annual Report

Pius Ginting, WALHI - Friends of the Earth Indonesia

“Let me die here. There is no use for me to stay alive. Chevron does not care about my land. The company is very cruel.”
- Words yelled by Mr Darmiadi in an attempted suicide from a Chevron electricity tower, September 14, 2009.[345]



The majority of Chevron’s oil production has, and continues to, take place in the Riau province in the center of the Sumatra Island, where it operates four onshore blocks, the largest of which, the Duri field, is one of the world’s giant oilfields and one of the largest steamflood operations.[347]

Today, Chevron, through its Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) subsidiary (formerly Caltex Pacific Indonesia), is Indonesia’s largest oil producer, with total daily production averaging 477,000 barrels of oil and 611 million cubic feet of natural gas in 2010.[348] Chevron’s Indonesian operations include oil, natural gas and geothermal power-generation.


Chevron Gets an Award in 2010! 

TATA HAIRA
Spilled oil resulting from an October 2010 oil pipeline
explosion in Manggala Jonson Village.
Two local girls suffered burn wounds in the explosion.
In November 2010, Chevron received an impressive award from Indonesia’s Ministry of the Environment. In its environmental performance rating program (PROPER), the Ministry ranked Chevron in its RED category. This designation means that Chevron Pacific Indonesia-Sumatra Light North, Chevron Pacific Indonesia-Sumatra Light South and Chevron Pacific Indonesia-Heavy Oil failed to properly manage the environment based on standard regulations. Chevron has devastated the environment and, as a result, the company is facing sanctions from the government.[354]

Chevron's Oil Pipeline: A Time-Bomb for Local People

On October 28 2010, CPI’s oil pipeline exploded in Manggala Jonson Village, Tanah Putih Sub District, District Rokan Hilir, Riau Province. Two girls, six-year old Wanda and 16-year old Rini, suffered burn wounds.

Local community member Mr. Yunus said that both girls suffered burn wounds because they were covered with hot crude oil from the exploded pipe. Mr. Yunus added that the incident initially sounded like a bomb blast. After recovering from their initial shock, the local community realized that the pipe had exploded and was spurting oil 10 meters high. When the incident happened, a motorbike owned by a local community member was thrown a distance of 15 meters.[355]

TATA HAIRA
Spilled oil resulting from the 2010 pipeline explosion
in Manggala Jonson Village.
Because of the incident, local community members from Manggala Jonson Village suffered from asphyxiation and sore throats. According to one source, who requested to remain anonymous, it is believed that the oil spill contained hazardous waste, which was inhaled by the community. However, the community was somewhat reluctant to speak openly to the media about their health impacts.[356]

According to Mr. Yunus, Chevron and its heavy equipment team came two hours after the explosion to repair the pipe.[357]

A Waste Ditch Overflowed, Local Community Houses Flooded

Also in 2010, local communities in the Rumbai Coastal area complained that their houses were continually flooded due to the overflow of a Chevron waste ditch. The coordinator of the Rumbai Community and Rumbai Coastal area reported this to the police on February 27, 2010. The community has suffered from serious skin problems, but Chevron has not paid any attention.

The Head of the Local Parliament Commission, Aswendi, said that Chevron had promised to clean the ditch. “Obviously, this is Chevron’s responsibility. When we called them (to the Local Parliament House), they promised to undertake dredging to avoid flooding into the community neighborhood. If flooding happens, we will call them again,” said Aswendi.[358]

Mr. Hanafi Kadir, Communications Manager of Chevron Pacific Indonesia said, “this (the flood) is not merely caused by shallowed drainage, but also because of the development impact. There is no more water catchment area. We admit that probably the drainage got shallowed but we have done dredging.”[359]

Land Seizure

On October 25, 2010, seventy-five community members joined the Rantau Bais Terpadu peasant group for a demonstration at the gate to Batang Field, owned by Chevron Pacific Indonesia. For two days, the demonstrators cut off the gate to the oil field on land the company had seized for exploration and exploitation. They hung a banner urging Chevron Pacific Indonesia to leave immediately and they set up a tent in the middle of the road, stopping all vehicles that attempted to go into the location. The demonstration was conducted peacefully, although hundreds of police were equipped with rifles and hand guns.

“Chevron has seized 130 hectares of our land since 2003, even though there are 65 claimants’ letters for the land,” said Masran Djasid, coordinator of community. “There are still 130 out of 600 hectares for which the company has not yet provided compensation. But Chevron has built dozens of oil pumps. Since 2005 Chevron has not displayed any goodwill. In fact, the community conducted a demonstration in February 2010, and sent a complaint to the Head of the District, the Governor, and even the National Parliament. But there has been no solution and the company has been violating its own map.”[360]

Currently, the state-owned Executive Agency for Upstream Oil and Gas (BPMIGAS) is investigating the land conflict between the villagers of Rantau Bais and Chevron. “The legal department of BPMIGAS is studying the conflict. And, in fact, we suspect that there is some land that has not been paid for yet,” said Elan Biantoro, Head of Public Relations for BPMIGAS.[361]

According to the company, Chevron has paid 8.6 billion rupiah (approximately US$ 1 million) for compensation for an area of 457.19 hectares, which consisted of 296 claimants. The company rejected 65 claimants because they were not included the 457.19 hectares.[362] This statement has been criticized by the community, which maintains that the company uses 600 hectares of land. Chevron is violating its own map, says the community.

Since Chevron has not responded to the community’s concerns, the community organized another blockade on November 25, 2010. Arifin Ahmad, Secretary of the Peasant Group Rantau Bais Terpadu, said, “We are forced to blockade the road again because so far Chevron has not been willing to pay compensation for our land.”[363] He added that the community will stay there to maintain the blockade until there is significant change in Chevron Pacific Indonesia’s position. Arifin stated, “If there is no change in Chevron’s position, we will stay here.”[364]

WALHI, together with other networks and the local communities, will continue to end the environmental, social and economic destruction in Riau, and in other provinces in Indonesia.



345 Chevron in Indonesia - An Alternative 2009 Annual Report.
347 Mezlul Arfie, Eduard Marika, Elwin S. Purbodiningrat and Herbert A. Woodard, “Implementation of Slurry Fracture Injection Technology for E&P Wastes at Duri Oilfield,” Society of Petroleum Engineers 96543-PP (2005).
348 Chevron Corp., Indonesia Business Portfolio (Mar. 2011).
354 Alamsyah Pua Sabah, “KPC Dari Hijau Ke Merah,” TAMBANG Magazine, 26 Nov. 2010.
355 Bagus Himawan, “Pipa Minyak Chevron Meledak, Dua Warga Luka Bakar,” Media Indonesia, 28 Oct. 2010.
356 “Akibat Tumpahan Minyak Chevron, Warga Alami Sesak,” Metro Terkini, 28 Oct. 2010.
357 Ibid.
358 Syahrul Mukhlis and Henny Elyati, “Parit Meluap, Warga Lapor Polisi,” Riau Pos, 28 May 2010.
359 Ibid.
360 “Warga Blokir Ladang Minyak Chevron”, Kompas.com, 25 Oct. 2010.
361 “BP Migas Selidiki Kasus Sengketa Lahan Chevron,” Antara News, 26 Oct. 2010.
362 Ibid.
363 “Tuntut Ganti Rugi, Ladang Minyak CPI Kembali Diblokir Warga,” Riau Terkini, 25 Nov. 2010.
364 Ibid.