Senator Brown asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 22 September 2003:

With reference to the visit by Australian embassy officials to the Freeport mine in the Indonesian province of Papua on 5 December to 7 December 2001:

(1)  Which embassy officials visited the mine.

(2)  What was the specific purpose of the visit, especially given the earlier visits in May 2001 and June 2001.

(3)  Which mining company representatives did embassy officials meet.

(4)  (a) Who else did the embassy officials meet during their visit; and (b) who did they represent.

(5)  Prior to the visit, were embassy officials aware of human rights abuses by security forces around the mine.

(6)  Did embassy officials meet representatives of the security forces during the visit; if so, what was the purpose of the meetings.

(7)  In relation in the answer to question on notice no. 721 (Senate Hansard, 5 February 2003, p. 8648), what specific `concerns about the security environment in the area surrounding the mine' did company representatives raise.

(8)  Did they seek any assistance from embassy officials; if so, what requests were made.

(9)  What assistance, if any, was subsequently provided.

(10)  Did embassy officials raise concerns with mining company representatives about human rights abuses in the area surrounding the mine; if so, what response was received.

(11)  Did embassy officials raise concerns about human rights abuses in the area surrounding the mine in any meetings with Indonesian security officials.

(12)  Did mining company representatives inform embassy officials at any time during the visit that the company was paying millions of dollars directly to the Indonesian security forces around the mine; if so, who informed the embassy officials.

(13)  Did embassy officials ask mining company representatives if the company was making payments to the local security forces; if not, why not.

(14)  Why did embassy officials decide not to organise meetings with representatives of local landowner groups or other non-government organisations.

Senator Hill —The Minister for Foreign Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

The Embassy's visit to Papua in December 2001 afforded officials an opportunity to follow-up and monitor progress on issues covered in previous visits, particularly in terms of developments affecting the company's operations.

The Government is not prepared to disclose the details of confidential meetings held with company representatives and local officials. The Government has, however, frequently raised with Indonesian authorities the need to ensure a secure operating environment for business in the interests of greater economic growth and prosperity. Officials raise the Government's concerns about human rights abuses with authorities if and when it is appropriate to do so. To discover and provide the details being sought requires the diversion of significant resources, which I am not prepared to authorise.