•  
  •  
 

Abstract

In August 2009, a wellhead blowout of took place at an offshore drilling facility named the Montara platform, on the north coast of Australia. This incident released crude oil into the sea and continued until November 2009. The Montara platform is owned by PTTEP Australasia Pty. Ltd., a company incorporated under the law of Australia, and a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, a Thailand based, state-owned oil company. Based on samples taken by the East Nusa Tenggara Municipality in the waters along the coast of Kolbano, it was found that the sea water has been polluted with crude oil. There was an indication that the crude oil was identical to those of at the Montara well head platform. This incident has been detrimental to at least 9.000 fishermen and seaweed farmers along the coast of West Timor Sea, with total losses estimated at USD2.4 billion. This article examines the possibility of a lawsuit brought by the affected communities to the Indonesian civil court. This article finds that filing a lawsuit against foreign entity may be possible. Article 100 RV of the Indonesian law on civil procedure provide an opportunity to sue foreign entity when a contractual relationship exists.

Bahasa Abstract

Pada Agustus 2009, terjadi kebocoran pada fasilitas pengeboran lepas pantai di pantai utara Australia, yang diberi nama Montara. Kebocoran ini menumpahkan minyak mentah ke laut dan berlanjut sampai dengan Nopember 2009. Fasilitas pemngeboran Montara dioperasikan oleh PTTEP Australasia Pty. Ltd., sebuah perusahaan Australia, dan anak perusahaan dari PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, yang merupakan perusahaan milik negara Thailand. Berdasarkan sampel yang diambil oleh pemerintah daerah Nusa Tenggara Timur pada perairan pantai Kolbano, ditemukan bahwa perairan laut telah tercemar oleh minyak mentah. Terdapat indikasi kuat bahwa minyak mentah ini identik dengan yang ditemukan pada fasilitas pengeboran Montara. Kejadian ini telah merugikan 9.000 nelayan dan petani rumput laut di sepanjang pantai Timor Barat, total kerugian diperkirakan USD2.4 milyar. Tulisan ini menguji kemungkinan bagi masyarakat korban membawa kasus ini ke pengadilan perdata Indonesia. Tulisan ini menemukan bahwa terbuka kemungkinan menggugat badan hukum asing. Pasal 100 RV hukum acara perdata Indonesia memungkinkan menggugat orang asing bila terdapat hubungan perikatan.

References

Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Montego Bay, 10 December 1982. United Nations Treaty Series. Vol. 1833. No. 31363. Convention on Oil Pollution Response and Co-Operation (OPRC). London, 30 November 1990. United Nations Treaty Series. No. 51, 30 ILM 733. Statute of the International Court of Justice. 18 April 1946. Dagi v. BHP (1995) 1 VR 428. District Court of Central Jakarta. “Decision No. 98/Pdt .G/2007/PN.Jkt.Pst.” District Court of South Jakarta. “Decision No. 94/Pdt.G/2005/PN.JKT.Sel.” District Court of South Jakarta. “Decision No. 284/Pdt.G/2007/PN.Jak.Sel.” District Court of South Jakarta. “Decision No. 548/Pdt.G/2007/PN.Jak.Sel.” Gagarimabu v. Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ltd (2001) VSC 517 (SCt Vic). Indonesia. Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Perdata (Indonesian Civil Code), Staatsblaad No. 23 Year 1847 Art. 1365. Indonesia. Peraturan Pemerintah tentang Pengendalian Pencemaran dan/atau Perusakan Laut (Law regarding the Control of Pollution and Damage at Sea). PP No. 19 Tahun 1999. LN. No. 32 Tahun 1999 (Government Regulation Number 19 Year 1999. SG No.32 Year 1999). Indonesia. Reglement op de Rechtsvordering (Law regarding the Indonesian Civil Procedure). Staatsblad Year 1847 No. 52 jo. Staatsblad Year 1849 No. 63. Indonesia. Undang-Undang tentang Pengelolaan Wilayah Pesisir dan Pulau-pulau Kecil (Law regarding Management of Coastal Area and Small Islands). UU No. 1 Tahun 2014. LN No. 5 Tahun 2014 (Law Number 1 Year 2004. SG No. 5 Year 2004). Indonesia. Undang-Undang tentang Pengesahan Persetujuan Pembentukan Organisasi Perdagangan Dunia (Law regarding Ratification of Agrement Establishing The World Trade Organization). UU No. 7 Tahun 1994 LN No. 57 Tahun 1994 (Law Number 7 Year 1994. SG No. 57 Year 1994). Indonesia. Undang-Undang tentang Perairan Indonesia ( Law regarding Indonesian Water). UU No. 6 Tahun 1996. LN No. 73 Tahun 1996 (Law Number 6 Year 1996. SG No. 73 Year 1960). Indonesia. Undang-Undang tentang Perikanan (Law regarding Fisheries). UU No. 31 Tahun 2004. LN NO. 118 Tahun 2004 (Law Number 31 Year 2004. SG No. 118 Year 2004). Indonesia. Undang-Undang tentang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan (Law regarding Environmental Protection and Management). UU No. 32 Tahun 2009. LN No. 140 Tahun 2009 (Law Number 32 Year 2009. SG No. 140 Year 2009). International Court of Justice. Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay). Judgement. I.C.J. Reports 2010. New Page Corporation et. al. v. PT. Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills (2009). Decision of the High Court of Jakarta No. 27/PDT/2009/PT.DKI. Regie Nationale des Usines Renault SA v. Zhang (2002) 210 CLR 491 (HCA). Supreme Court of Republic of Indonesia. Peraturan Mahkamah Agung tentang Acara Gugatan Perwakilan Kelompok (Supreme Court Regulation regarding Procedures for Class Action Lawsuit). Perma No. 1 Tahun 2002 (Supreme Court Regulation Number 1 Year 2002). Supreme Court of Republic of Indonesia. “Decision No. 273 PK/PDT/2008.” Supreme Court of Republic of Indonesia. “Decision No. 871 K/Pdt /2010.” Supreme Court of Republic of Indonesia. “Decision No. 3215 K/PDT/2001.” The Smelter Case (United States, Canada). International Arbitral Awards. United Nations Reports, 1941. World Trade Organization. Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994. Marakesh, 15 April 1994. L336.

Books Fuady, M. Unlawful Action: A Contemporary Approach (Perbuatan Melawan Hukum: Pendekatan Kontemporer). Bandung: Citra Aditya, 2005. Joseph, Sarah. Corporations and Transnational Human Rights Litigation. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2004. Kaye, Stuart. “Peaceful Settlement of Disputes in International Law” in Public International Law: An Australian Perspective. Edited by Slam Blay, Ryszard Piotrowicz and Martin Tsamenyi. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Articles Agustina, Rosa. “Perbuatan Melawan Hukum” in Hukum Perikatan (Law of Obligations). Editied by Rosa Agustina, et al. Jakarta: Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Leiden, Universitas Groningen, 2012.Australian Maritime Safety Authority. “Response to the Montara Wellhead Platform Incident: Report of the Incident Analysis Team.” Report by the Incident Analysis Team into the Response by the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances, to the Montara Wellhead Platform Incident, March 2010, http://www.amsa.gov.au/forms-and-publications/publications/ montara_iat_report.pdf. Accessed 10 September 2014. Drimmer, Jonathan. “Human Rights and the Extractive Industries: Litigation and Compliance Trends.” Journal of World Energy Law & Business Vol. 3 No. 2 (July 2010): 121-139. Kyriakakis, Joanna. “Freeport in West Papua: Bringing Corporations to Account for the International Human Rights Abuses under Australian Criminal and Tort Law.” Monash University Law Review Vol. 31 No. 1 (2005): 95-115. Oxford Pro Bono Publico. “Obstacles to Justice and Redress for Victims of Corporate Human Rights Abuse.” A comparative submission prepared for Professor John Ruggie, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Business & Human Rights, Oxford, 3 November 2008). http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/ staff/webber/Oxford-Pro-Bono-Publico-submission-to-Ruggie-3-Nov-08.pdf. Accessed 12 September 2014. Websites Australian Government Department of the Environment. “Montara Oil Spill.” http:// www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-pollution/montara-oil-spill. Accessed 8 September 2014. Hukumonline. “Amicable Agreement Between RI-Newmont, Regreted by Environmental Activist (RI-Newmont Damai, Aktivis Lingkungan Mengecam).” http://www.hukumonline.com/berita/baca/hol14412/rinewmont-damaiaktivis- lingkungan-mengecam. Accessed 22 January 2011. Hukumonline. “Caused by Natural Phenomenon, Judge Rejects Walhi’s Suit (Dinilai Akibat Fenomena Alam, Hakim Tolak Gugatan Walhi).” http://www. hukumonline.com/berita/baca/hol18236/dinilai-akibat-fenomena-alamhakim- tolak-gugatan-walhi. Accessed on 22 September 2014. Hukumonline. “MoE Uses Strict Liability Principle in Legal Suit Againts Newmont (KLH Menggunakan Dalil Strict Liability Dalam Gugatan terhadap Newmont).” http://www.hukumonline.com/berita/baca/hol12637/klh-menggunakandalil- istrict-liabilityi-dalam-gugatan-terhadap-newmont. Accessed 22 January 2011. Jaringnews. “Tragedi Montara Terlupakan, Mukhtasor: Desak Penelitian Komprehensif.” http://jaringnews.com/internasional/asia/19492/tragedimontara- terlupakan-mukhtasor-desak-penelitian-komprehensif. Accessed on 20 September 2014. Mitchell, Emily. “Five Years of Waiting for Investigation into Montara Oil Spill.” https://www.lawyersalliance.com.au/opinion/five-years-of-waiting-forinvestigation- into-montara-oil-spill. Accessed on 21 September 2014. PTTEP Australia. Establishment of PTTEP South Mandar Limited, PTTEP Sadang Limited PTTEP Malunda Limited, and PTTEP South SageriLimited,http://www. pttep.com/en/InvestorRelations_SETNotificationDetail.aspx?ContentID=667. Accessed on 20 September 2014. PTTEP Australaia. “Fact Sheet: Government of Indonesia Compensation Claim.” http:// www.au.pttep.com/media/20778/government%20of%20indonesia%20 compensation%20claim.pdf. Accessed 10 September 2014.

Rigzone. “PTTEP Fined Over $500,000 for Montara Oil Spill Disaster.” http://www. rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=120382. Accessed 11 September 2014. The Jakarta Globe. “2009 Timor Sea Oil Spill : Just as Devastating as Gulf of Mexico.” http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/archive/2009-timor-sea-oil-spill-just-asdevastating- as-gulf-of-mexico/. Accessed 8 September 2014. The Jakarta Post. “Fishermen ‘Suffer’ as Oil Spill Compensation Delayed.” http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/28/ fishermenE2%80%98suffer%E2%80%99-oil-spill-compensation-delayed. html. Accessed 10 September 2014 The Jakarta Post. “RI Court Acquits `Time’ in Soeharto Case.” http://www. thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/17/ri-court-acquits-time039-soehartocase. html. Accessed on 20 September 2014. The Jakarta Post. “RI to Make Formal Claim in Timor Spill.” http://www.thejakartapost. com/news/2010/08/24/ri-make-formal-claim-timor-spill.html. Accessed 20 September 2014. The Jakarta Post. “Soeharto Sues `Time’ magazine for US$27 Billion.” http://www. thejakartapost.com/news/1999/07/06/soeharto-sues-time039-magazineus27billion. html. Accessed 20 September 2014. The Jakarta Post. “West Timor Sea Contaminated by Oil Spill.” http://www. thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/28/west-timor-sea-contaminated-oilspill. html. Accessed 15 September 2014.

Download

Share

COinS