Asia-pacific Update
Published by MAC on 2007-02-13
Asia-Pacific update
13th Feburary 2007
An APEC meeting in Australia has set out plans to promote cross-border cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region, in order to liberalise mining investment even further.
The behest to observe "responsible" use and disposal of mining/mined materials has been tacked on to the APEC proposal (of course!) - although the Australian government claims its own companies don't need to be so disciplined: they're good enough.
This risible proposition has been undermined by a statement from three leading human rights and mining "watchdogs."
And Australian NGOs are furious at UK-Swiss Xstrata's proposal to destroy Aboriginal sacred sites.