Letters: From BP LNG Tangguh to NGOs concerning Local People's Demand

The Tangguh Project Team in Jakarta would like to provide you with this final update on the events at project site that occurred this week. The information is in the attached e-mail and includes the initial notice that was sent out by David Meighan in addition to correspondence between BP and the Saengga Community. 

There is a continuing dialogue between BP and the Saenngga community. The importance of pursuing that dialogue in a peaceful non-confrontation manner by all parties has been one of our key messages to the community. 

Thank you for your continuing interest. Please let us know if you have any further questions. 

Best Regards,


Arian Ardie
Tangguh Project Team

We would like to inform you about the events that happened at Saengga Base Camp this week. As you may know a number of villagers from the village of Saengga came into the base camp on Monday. They made a number of demands while they were there. The following e-mail best describes what occurred and the position that BP took, which you have already seen.

<<SBC Negotiation Statement v3 (Eng Indon).ZIP>> 

Subsequently BP sent out two letters in response to their demands, one expressing disappointment with the manner by which the protest was conducted and the second restating our proposed timetable for reaching and signing a full agreement with the community. 

<<Saengga Letters, 13 May>> 

We maintained a dialogue with the community while they were in camp. When they left we continued to communicate with community leaders while they met as a village to discuss their actions and decide on a way forward. The following is a translation of the letter that was sent to the BP as a result of the community meeting. 

<<Saengga reply letter 15 May>> 

The outcome as expressed in the letter from the community demonstrates the commitment of both BP and the community to peaceful dialogue as the means of resolving disputes. BP is committed to meeting the obligations expressed to the community during the April 24-26, 2002 Lokakarya. One of the most vital of these is the need to treat each other with respect and without resorting to violence.

We hope that this information is useful to you. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.


Best Regards,



Arian Ardie
====================
Cc: Kirk, Dermot; Rice, David P; Klocke, Mary Jane A; O'Reilly, John
(JKT); Augustinus, Rumansara; Meighan, David AS; Holmes, Andrew 
(Corpte
Comms) MOR; Ardie, Arian (Supraco)
Subject: Tangguh Workshop - Tuesday 26th March

To attendees at our BP Tangguh workshop in March:

I thought you might be interested in events that happened at our Tangguh Base Camp on Monday. There has been a protest by villagers at the site, who are concerned at delays. You might read about it or hear about it through other channels, so I thought it might be helpful to have the report attached below, direct from our office in Papua. 

There have been some exaggerated reports in terms of the number and nature of the protestors. In particular, there is no national security force at site. We are continuing to have a peaceful dialogue with the community and are we are endeavouring to develop sustainable solutions to address their concerns. 

As we indicated during our workshop in London we are reviewing the level of compensation that was paid to the Saengga community and this is part of our on-going discussion. 

Please let me know if you have additional questions. We will keep you posted on developments (unless this is too much information and you'd rather we didn't, in which case please say so).


Best wishes

David

David Rice
Director Policy Unit
BP
Britannic House
1 Finsbury Circus
London EC2M 7BA
tel: (0)20 7496 4136
fax: (0)20 7496 4541
ricedp@bp.com



SAENGGA COMMUNITY AT TANGGUH BASE CAMP

On Monday May 13th, around 30 members of Saengga Village visited the Pertamina/BP Tangguh Base camp to express dissatisfaction at the perceived delay at reaching full agreements between the community, Pertamina/BP and the Manokwari local government, following the three-day Lokakarya that took place in the village from April 24-26.

Although the operations of the camp were affected, the protest by the community was peaceful and dignified throughout. After several hours of discussion and dialogue, the villagers returned home. 

Pertamina/BP shares the wishes of the Saengga community that those areas of common ground identified during the Lokakarya (community workshop) should become formal agreements as soon as possible, and that negotiations should continue on those issues where differences remain. We have targeted June 9th 2002 as the date when Pertamina/BP, Manokwari local government,
and the Saengga community can sign such a joint agreement. We recognise the importance of all the issues raised in the Lokakarya, including those relating to land compensation.

One of most important aspects where there was unanimity in the Lokakarya, was the need to treat each other with respect at all times, and never to resort to intimidation. Today's events reinforce the need for this key principle to be upheld, so that disagreements and misunderstandings can be resolved peacefully, through dialogue, and in good faith by just the two sides themselves without outside involvement and intervention.