We reject Australian aid through its AusAID program if it is not used for the investigation of the damage to the ecosystem ..."
Kupang (ANTARA News) - Chairman of the Foundation of Peduli Timor Barat (YPTB) Ferdi Tanoni said the program of AusAID for West Timor, should be used to finance investigation of pollution of Timor Sea after the explosion of the Montara oil rig in 2009.

The foundation representing 13,000 sea weed farmers in East Nusa Tenggara has filed a lawsuit against PTTEP in Australia for the damage to the environment caused by the oil spil.

"We reject Australian aid through its AusAID program if it is not used for the investigation of the damage to the ecosystem and the health of the local people caused by the oil pollution," Tanoni said here on Saturday before departing for Australia.

The Montara oil spill was an oil and gas leak and subsequent slick that took place in the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia.

It is considered one of Australias worst oil disasters. The slick was released following a blowout from the Montara wellhead platform on 21 August 2009, and continued leaking until 3 November 2009 (in total 74 days), when the leak was stopped by pumping mud into the well and the well bore cemented thus "capping" the blowout.

The West Atlas rig is owned by the Norwegian-Bermudan Seadrill, and operated by PTTEP Australasia (PTTEPAA), a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) which is in turn a subsidiary of PTT, the Thai state-owned oil and gas company.

The Montara field is located off the Kimberley coast, 250 km (160 mi) north of Truscott airbase, and 690 km (430 mi) west of Darwin.

The Australian Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism estimated that the Montara oil leak could be as high as 2,000 barrels (320 m3)/day, five times the 400 barrels (64 m3)/day estimated by PTTEP Australasia.

Australia through its AusAID program would give Indonesia an aid of US$375.7 million dollar.

Working partnership between Australia and Indonesia through AusAID covers politics, security, trade, economy and development.

Tanoni said the aid had big political content as with the aid Australia thinks it has done a lot of good things for the NTT people.

YPTB is a non governmental organization based in Kupang which have continued to remind the government of the oil spill disaster and the suffer its caused to the NTT people.

Tanoni said the NTT people have become international political victims for Australia, but so far there has been no response for compensation they demanded.
(Uu.H-ASG/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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