We also has received power of attorney from the people of Timor Leste ..."
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The government of Indonesia fully supports steps taken by the Yayasan Peduli Timor Barat (YPTB) in seeking to settle the dispute over oil pollution of Timor sea as a resutl of the explosion of a Montara oil refinery in August, 2009.

"After we received the support from the government of Indonesia, we have the obligation to report progress made in seeking the settlement of the dispute over the oil spill to the Indonesian Transport Minister as the chairman of the National Team for Oil Spill Emergency Control in the sea," YPTB chairman Ferdi Tanoni told reporters here on Friday.

Tanoni, a former immigration agent at the Australian embassy, said YPTB received the support from the Indonesian government on June 4, 2014 in a letter asking the foundation to seek settlement of the case with the Thai company PTTEP Australasia that owned the Montara refinery.

Tanoni said YPTBs layer in Darwin, Australia, Greg Phelps had sent a letter to the Australian government and PTTEP Australasia asking for immediate settlement of the case transparently through a comprehensive scientific research.

"We also has received power of attorney from the people of Timor Leste to help resolve the same case as the oil spill has also polluted the water of that country in Oecusse," he said.

He said on 15 July 2014, Greg Phelps met politicians of Australian opposition parties in Canberra and a number of senators in an attempt to find immediate solution to the case.

"This a very positive step forward, as the case has drawn the attention of the mass media in Australia after YPTB received the backing from the Indonesian government," Tanoni said.

Tanoni said he is optimistic that the case could be settled because PTTEP Australasia had agreed to hold negotiations with YPTB through its lawyer Greg Phelps.

"We will bring this case to the Australia court and the International Court if the company tried to dodge and refused to be responsible and seek to stall settlement," he said.
(Uu.H-ASG/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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