27 Sep 2012

Indonesia Human Rights Committee's campaign over NZ Super Fund's Papua link pays off

6:00 pm on 27 September 2012

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has applauded the New Zealand Superannuation Fund's decision to divest from Freeport McMoRan because of rights issues around its Papua mine.

The Committee's Maire Leadbetter says Freeport's Papua operations have long been tainted by rights abuses linked to the Indonesian military and police who provide security around the mine.

She feels that the Committee's six-year campaign lobbying for divestment has played a part in the decision.

"The Super Fund investment has not been huge but I know that crown financial institutes work together when they make these decisions so I'm hoping that the Super Fund divestment will also mean that the other crown financial institutions will also divest and it may even have a wider impact on the other funds that they work with outside this country. So it's got considerable potential for being a very positive thing, I hope."

Maire Leadbetter is pushing the Super Fund to now divest from Rio Tinto because it is a joint partner in the Freeport mine.