Open invitation to businesses and Indonesian NGOs to respond

January 25, 2007

It is good to see readers Oigal and Moshe speaking up against what they felt was injustice done to Rick Ness and other businesses by NGOs (see Pledoi and the Sheepish NGOs).

Unspun has long felt that environmental NGOs such as Walhi (here we have to be careful as different provinces have different levels of militancy) have been exploiting the public and journalists inclination to be skeptical about Big Business for their own ends. The make often wild accusations and the local Press, ever gullible, swallow these allegations whole and spit them out in the next day’s papers.

Many a business have been hurt as a result. The motivations of these self-appointed do gooders aren’t altruistic either. Often all the NGO wants is to create enough noise so that the affected business would pay them off or be seen instrumental in shutting down a Big Business operation so that they can get funding from well-meaning but gullible Western organizations.

The Newmont affair is a case in point. As expressed elsewhere in thi blog, Unspun feels that while the Newmonters suck in their communications they have not been guilty of polluting Buyat Bay. Yet the NGOs and government officials have entered into a feeding frenzy that has resulted in Rick Ness being tied in court, and others in prison cells, for many many months.

Up till now, Big Business and the individuals have been relatively helpless to do anything about the irresponsible bullying NGOs. But now with blogs it’s a different ball game. Readers like Moshe can voice their misgivings without fear of attracting undue attention and reprisals from the NGOs.

Not all NGOs are irresponsible though yet in Newmont’s case none of them have come forth to do the right thing. Strange, and reminds Unspun of the days when he read Yeats and savored the lines: “The best lack all conviction/ the worst are full of righteous piety.”

But surely things can’t be that bad. Unspun would like to invite businesses and NGOs to discuss whether they think that activist NGOs on the whole make Indonesia a better or worse place to live and do business. The floor is yours… (would also love to hear from Eric, who keeps the Rick Ness blog).

unspun

blogging, communications, environment, Indonesia

blogging, Culture Clash, Walhi

21 responses to “Open invitation to businesses and Indonesian NGOs to respond”

Oigal

January 26, 2007 at 4:05 am

Hey Unspun,

In case I get slammed as anti NGO etc. I am not, there is no doubt a healthy and active NGO and green presence helps keep all companies on “straight and narrow”.

However, if you want to be a self appointed keeper of truth then you must have an obligation to speak the truth as well.

Personally I really don’t have a problem with the NGO’s pointing to or requesting a investigation into Newmont. Things only became absurb when it dragged on and on and on in the face of (from what I can see) over whelming evidence to the contrary. Someone must be held responsible for that..yes? Also would it be cynical to conclude selective targeting?

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Achmad Sudarsono

January 26, 2007 at 4:48 am

Friend,

The Indonesian NGO is the torch-bearer of justice. (except when they infiltrated by Foreigner).

Why do you want to undermine the Indonesian NGO who fight for justice ?

The foreign company, friend, is ever dominate both the Nation and the Pribumi. If you have truly been here a long time, you will know that.

I also try not to insult you in this thread and not repeat the accusations of going to Blok M and Jalan Jaksa and all the things that go on.

I thank you, Friend.

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The Weatherman

January 26, 2007 at 5:45 am

Please, don’t start a foreign vs pribumi war here. I’ve seen enough pribumi full of KKN and enough foreigners with good intentions.

Don’t jump to conclusions about people. Evaluate them individually!

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Achmad Sudarsono

January 26, 2007 at 9:35 am

Weatherman,

The fact that you smear the Pribumi marks you as a festering reprobate of the highest order. It’s sad that you’ve joined the ranks of Oigal as a bottom-feeder subsiding off scum. But that’s unfortunately the cross (excuse the metaphor) we have to bear in Indonesia. The reality is that we are still fighting the battle we started 62 years ago and the foreign companies are the enemy. Fortunately, the enemy is weakened by moral decadence, filth, and fornication in the likes of Block M. Victory is not far away, and the fact that BI is limiting foreigners in banks, and that we’re finally kicking out the IMF and the CGI proves conclusively that I’m right. Trust me, ‘friend’ limitations on Kitas’s arent’ far away so suck up that Blok M scum while you can.

Peace,

Achmad.

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bayi

January 26, 2007 at 10:22 pm

I believe unqualified support for the NGOs is a fallacy. There are NGOs with good intentions but may have unwittingly fallen into the manipulative grips of outside parties because of the need for external funding but these are not many. There are also NGOs with noble intentions controlled by locals but their leaders are short in vision, stumbling along the way. There are also NGOs controlled by crooked locals with less altruistic intentions who smear the good work done by the others. And of course, there are also excellent NGOs funded and run by foreigners who do well to help countries and communities in need. There is no clear line to indicate foreign-aided or run NGOs are evil and locally-run NGOs are definitely noble. No, indeed. Believing in such general assumption would be a fallacy!

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Daryono

January 27, 2007 at 4:18 pm

Please remember that Newmont is a greedy Australian company; that just wants our resources and doesn’t care about our people or our environment. Its very presence here is a ghastly form of recolonization; by Australians of all people.

It is sad that Indonesians are attacking their country instead of Newmont. Perhaps they are still brainwashed by the colonial stigma or the globalization of the western media.

If Bayi and the other person think that Indonesians are inferior to bule; then go down to Blok M and see how they spend their money; that was earned form our people and resources.

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bayi

January 28, 2007 at 3:41 am

Daryono

I have never held the view that the locals are inferior to any foreign party. Please read all my comments here and in the other posts before you make such a sweeping statement. Where the foreigners are at fault, I will go through hell to piss them off.

But if foreigners are permitted to break laws with impunity, then the government of the country is also at fault. The people voted in this present government in a democratic manner, mind you.

If the foreigners are just being greedy, then define “greedy”. All commercial companies exist to maximise profit though it would be ideal if these companies practise corporate social responsibility (CSR). If it is expertise that we lack to exploit our own resources, offer foreign companies a limited period to operate. Incorporate technology transfer and manpower training as part of the agreement. When the agreement ends, let the locals take over. It is the government’s responsibility to see to this.

If we keep ranting and spewing hatred at foreign investors, it gets us nowhere. So stop pointing fingers if this action is not going to result in anything positive for the country. Get cracking and do something that will result in a little positivity. It’s the aggregate effort of all the Indonesians doing something positive that will auger well for the future of the country, not otherwise!

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Achmad Sudarsono

January 28, 2007 at 4:50 am

Bayi,

It’s disappointing that you’re trying to sew divisions in the ranks of Indonesian brothers rather than directing the rage where it deserves: towards the blasted foreigners trying to steal from us.

Friend, we need to present a united front. Our enemies, through centuries of theft from peace-loving Asian and African nations have become powerful and rich. Sometimes we have to fight fire with fire, friends.

Bayi, what I really suspect is that all your supposedly-reasonable arguments really just hide the fact that secretly you sympathize with the Bule. It’s so much easier to push a radical pro-Bule agenda when you appear fair and balanced than when you come out and say what needs to be said, like myself and Daryono.

It’s time for you to just Be a Man. I quite Sukarno: “Mana Dadamu ?? Ini Dadaku !”. (Where is your chest ? This is my chest !”.

Thanks,
Achmad
Make a Amends, Make a Friend.
Don’t hit low, Be a Bro.

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bayi

January 28, 2007 at 6:21 am

Achmad

Thank you for your comments and criticism.

If these foreigners are nothing better than thieves, let the full force of the law be on them. They should not be walking free.

It would appear that if anyone holds a different view from yours or Daryono’s, he is a traitor. And I can tell you, I am not.

I am just challenging all of us to do something positive about our situation rather than whine all the time. I am proud of my stand, even if it means being alone.

I do what I can in my small ways to make life a little better for our society as often as I can, without looking at what the others are doing. I don’t subscribe to the view that expatriates have a monopoly on expertise but we must learn to have what it takes to do something well.

So there, brother. If you can call me a brother, take up the challenge!

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bayi

January 28, 2007 at 6:25 am

I would also love to see some response from the relevant NGOs too. Let this be a spirited forum for balanced discussions. I believe that’s what Unspun would like it to be.

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unspun

January 28, 2007 at 9:56 am

Bayi: well argued and yes, you are correct: I’d love it for NGOs and businesses to have a spirited discussion in this blog about their roles in a country like Indonesia and what they should do when you have several NGOs abusing the goodwill built by other non profits and using their NGO status to bully others.

I’ve about run out of patience with Achmad and Daryono and their juvenile arguments so this is to serve notice for them to argue skillfully or go play in their own blog. Achmad and Daryono, I strongly suspect, are expatriates out to create mischief and get a rise by stirring up their fellow expatriates, especially those less skilled in debating. A bit like Borat making fun of the type of Americans who can’t really defend themselves. Its snobbery at the end of the day but they think their so amusing. The rest of us look at them like a bore with only one gag line who cannot help but inflict all the guests he meets at a party with it. It is funny the first time around but it gets tiresome after a while.

So Achmad and daryono: can it. Get into a meaningful discussion or piss off.

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Daryono

January 28, 2007 at 5:15 pm

DELETED BECAUSE OF INANITY. EITHER CONTRIBUTE TO A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION OR GO GET YOUR OWN BLOG TO SPEW THE ANTI-COLONIAL RHETORIC – UNSPUN

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bayi

January 28, 2007 at 10:24 pm

Of course, the choice is Unspun’s. This is his blog, Daryono and he dictates the direction of the discussion. And I believe Unspun’s desire for a balanced discussion from every party is a healthy one. There is no need for general unsubstantiated and emotional views that do not auger well for the intellectual development of the country.

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Eric N.

January 29, 2007 at 2:34 am

Unspun,

You have raised an important policy issue in the context of the Buyat Bay/Newmont controversy—the one that pertains to the role of NGOs. In fact my most recent blog is titled “Buyat Bay and NGO Accountability”.

At the outset I would like to clarify that it would be wrong to draw sweeping conclusions about NGOs based solely on the Buyat Bay issue because the NGO community in Indonesia is a very diverse group. So I am in complete agreement with Bayi’s comments. I also believe that NGOs do fulfill an important public service delivery gap and they are an integral part of every country’s institutional architecture.

Now let me share some thoughts about the issue of NGOs that Unspun wants to discuss in his blog. You all would recall that the Buyat case started with some sensational accusations of mercury and arsenic pollution by some NGOs. But very quickly World Health Organization (WHO), Australia’s CSIRO and several of Indonesian Government’s own reports concluded that Buyat Bay was clean, the people there didn’t have any toxic poisoning and fish are safe to eat. These issues were discussed extensively in the court over the last eighteen months, and it has became clear through the testimonies of regulators, ex-ministers, national and international researchers and the local people that the original accusations of the NGOs were wrong. I have written about these topics in considerable detail on my blog (www.richardness.org).

What is amazing is that some members of WALHI publicly attempted to discredit the report by the WHO. It’s a pretty rare day when an NGO goes against the UN’s World Health Organization or CSIRO. After all these are among the most credible research organizations in the world.

I believe that it was a major strategic mistake when NGOs involved with the Buyat case decided to challenge the findings of the WHO on Buyat Bay. But a more pertinent question is why would WALHI do something outrageous like this? WALHI needs WHO as an ally and a partner in their environmental campaigns and yet they chose to contradict the scientific facts. Now it’s fair to say that WALHI’s credibility has been hurt.

So why did some members of WALHI acted in such a non-strategic and a tactless manner? There could be several explanations but one aspect that is clear is that WALHI’s stance in the Buyat controversy was built on the belief that they are above reproach. However, during the course of my Dad’s trial, WALHI’s assertions about Buyat Bay were subjected to rigorous scrutiny in the presence of the general public. I am not sure if WALHI ever expected to be so closely scrutinized.

All this adds up to create a new reality for NGOs in Indonesia. In the past five years there is a major trend towards NGO accountability, and the traditional belief that NGOs are above accountability and exempted from public oversight is beginning to change. The Buyat case has indeed accelerated the introduction of the concept of NGO accountability in Indonesia because it has become clear that the actions of some of the prominent NGOs led to immense waste of resources, diversion of public discussion from real environmental issues, and imposed economic cost on local communities.

WALHI and their partner NGOs must get ready for greater public scrutiny. This is a global trend and it is going to happen in Indonesia too. Dr. Hari Srinivas, Professor at the Department of Social Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology explains the idea of NGO accountability at his website http://www.gdrc.org/ngo/accountability/quick-intro.html. A paragraph from his introduction would help guide the discussion Unspun has started:

“….. cases of NGO misconduct in advocacy, fund use, management, and governance, have come to light, questioning their very legitimacy and congruency with social values and expectations. Some NGO have also ignored the fact that they are answerable to key stakeholders and the constituency that they work with, for promises of performance”.

Ultimately Unspun I believe you have hit upon an important relationship in this blog. In the time I have been in Indonesia I believe the work that ultimately serves the public the best is when you have Business, NGO’s and Government working together and the only way you achieve that is by open and public dialog.

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Achmad Sudarsono

January 29, 2007 at 2:46 am

Um, Ok. Sorry, Unspun.

Here’s the deal: deep down Walhi’s main agenda is not to protect the environment. It’s to attack foreign companies (a bit like me and Daryono).

In their simple mental equation, foreign companies = bad = damage to the environmnent = attack them. Let’s not forget who pays the piper, either. Conferences abroad, scholarships, campaign funding, and all of the goodies of NGO life go to those visible enough to make a bang.

Campaigning to get heavy metals out of the Ciliwung river gets less of a bang than accusing Newmont of spurious things that contradict the science.

Walhi, let’s not forget, has its roots in the New Order. Back then the environment was something you could campaign about, so alot of other activists with other agendas huddle under the Walhi banner.

Finally, let’s not rule out base incompetence. When you can’t get your point across – lie. Foreign multinational companies are far from angelic. But science should be the compass to environmental damage – and solutions, not dogma.

Is that better Unspun ?

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unspun

January 29, 2007 at 3:42 am

Achmad: Yes, that’s much better. You make very good points when you’re being yourself instead of trying to be Borat. Thank you.

As Achmad and Eric Ness have been mentioning Walhi, I think it is only fair to invite Walhi into this discussion. I have taken the liberty of e-mailing Walhi (info@walhi.or.id) to inform them of this conversation and to ask them to reply to some of the allegations made against it. I’d like to think that Walhi is open and mature enough an organization to conduct such a conversation over the blogosphere. But time will tell.

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Achmad Sudarsono

January 29, 2007 at 5:50 am

Last point on Borat, then i’ll drop it. Giving my colleague Borat the Golden Globe has done a lot to redeem America in my eyes. I am hereby giving all Bules a reprive – for a while.

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bayi

January 29, 2007 at 10:01 am

Thanks, Achmad. I am just an insterested bystander who has been drawn into this debate. And thank you for your acceptance of the points brought up by Eric. I also look forward to an explanation by Walhi and to see what their thoughts are.

I agree with Eric that Unspun has hit on a very important topic, i.e. the accountability of the NGOs and given the right circumstances, this would make a most fascinating discussion. And the “right circumstances” would include the willingness of NGOs and their stakeholders to discuss this openly.

And being the fair person you are, Unspun (by journalism practice over the years, I presume), I hope we will benefit from Wahli explanation, if the NGO cares to participate.

Thanks, Eric, for coming in at the right time to throw some light on the points discussed and to give this topic a good closure.

Gosh! This sounds like a good-nite speech! *yawn* 🙂

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Jennifer Marohasy

January 29, 2007 at 12:39 pm

It would be good to hear from Walhi. But no comment so far?

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unspun

January 30, 2007 at 8:36 am

Jennifer: Unfortunately, in spite of my e-mailing them there is still no word from Walhi.

The invitation stays open to Walhi and other NGOs who genuinely want to discuss how best business and civil scoiety can work together, especially where the environment is concerned.

Just so that Walhi doesn’t miss out on this blog discussion I’ll create a special tag al for Walhi aline for this posting so that all the world can hear what they have to say in a level playing field.

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Greenman

April 20, 2007 at 3:47 pm

It’s heartwarming to see such heated debate. At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own actions. If there is credible scientifically proven pollution, then there needs to be recompense, if not, then the nonsense should stop. Foreigners are in all of our home Countries, and this is a reality which will continue to grow & expand as the world becomes a smaller place, so better to embrace & deal with this concept, or become a relic. Those that cannot embrace the transmigration of World peoples, will end up in the dark & dusty corners of the historical section in the World Library. In conclusion, no matter the origin/ethnicity of the Party who are being investigated/tried, it gets down to, are they quilty or innocent, as determined by “impartial” qualified practioners of the law. Greenman

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