Australia's Washington embassy was picketed on September 5 by 50 protesters, including consumer advocate Ralph Nader and Greenpeace activists, condemning BHP's role in the PNG government's plan to outlaw compensation cases against the BHP-owned Ok Tedi copper and gold mine. The PNG parliament is to debate the bill, drafted by BHP's lawyers, on September 20. Picketers paraded up and down chanting, "BHP has got to go". A speaker demanded that the Australian government stand up to "this corporate thug" and said BHP should get out of PNG.
Brent Blackwelder, US president of Friends of the Earth, said the picket aimed to inform the US people about the "incredibly destructive mining operation in PNG. This huge Australian minerals company BHP thinks it can get away with dumping 80,000 tonnes a day of mining waste into the Ok Tedi River. It is wrecking the livelihoods of over 30,000 tribal people. They can't drink the water, bathe or wash their clothes in it."
Blackwelder said that Friends of the Earth continued to campaign for the Ok Tedi people because several years ago they were able to force Amoco oil company to divest its 30% interest in the mine after they protested against the refusal of Ok Tedi Mining Ltd to build a tailings dam to contain waste.
Washington protest against BHP
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