His comments are indicative of a growing trend amongst Australian
government officials and businessmen whose interests are crossing over
to Asia, greasing the palms of known and record human rights abusers
in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Fax/Send your protest to The Minister for Industries & Development of the
Northern Territory, Mr Shane L. Stone.
(PS: IF SOMEONE CAN SOURCE THE CONTACT DETAILS FOR MR STONE PLEASE POST
THEM AS A RESPONSE TO THIS TOPIC)
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Source : The Borneo Post
Date : 1st August 1993
Dateline : Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Byline : Aden Nagrace
STOP THROWING ROCKS TO SARAWAK - Northern Territory Minister
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
KUCHING, Sat. - The Minister for Industries & Development of Northern
Territory, Australia Mr Shane L. Stone, last night denounced various
environmentalist groups which continue to find faults with Sarawak's
management of its forest resources.
Mr Shane challenged these groups to "do something about their own
forests first before trying to pinpoint their fingers on others."
Commenting on the sustainable management of Sarawak's forest
resources, Shane, also the Minister for Asian Relations and Trade,
Minister for Mines & Energy and Minister for the Arts, urged those
enviromentalist groups, particularly those from the western countries
to "stop throwing rocks" to Sarawak.
Speaking to newsmen before departing for Brunei at the Kuching
International Airport, he assurred that the Sarawak Government is on
the right track and in fact is doing well.
Shane was leading a 21-member delegates, 15 of whom are mostly the
chief executive officers of their respective companies, from the NT
Australia on a two-day business exchange visit here.
The Minister described the visit as a very successful and fruitful
one, with each of the representatives from the private sector having
identified their future business ventures in Sarawak.
The Minister named some of the areas which ranged from timber related
products, printing technology, information system technology, and
tourism.
Apart from that, the Minister also disclosed that three of the
delegates have actually made plans on business proposals with their
counterparts here on three particular areas - value-added products on
timber, information technology system and solar power and technology.
On areas of cooperation between the two states, Shane said that they
are interested to further enhance the links of education and cultures.
"With the setting up of Sarawak's first university - University
Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) - soon, I hoped the universities in NT will
have some twinning education programme with UNIMAS," he added.
Shane said although this was his first trip to Sarawak, he was very
attracted to and convinced with the favourable business opportunities
in the state, adding that he wanted to see the bilateral trade between
both states further enhanced.
"Also when returning to NT, I will urge the business sector to look
closely to Sarawak for business opportunities," he said.
Earlier, Shane commented the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), rating it
among the best centres of cultural exhibits in the world.
"I have travelled many countries around the world and I find that the
SCV is very attractive, though there are still lots of rooms for
improvement."
He also hinted that the centre is still very unknown to the outside
world and more need to be done to further promote it.
"I am confident that if the tourists know such place existed here,
more will be coming," he noted adding the establishment of the centre
was a very brilliant idea. -END