UK firm's partner 'wanted Peru to curb priests in mine conflict areas'

UK firm's partner 'wanted Peru to curb priests in mine conflict areas'
BHP Billiton associate urged removal of teachers and clergy, according to leaked US embassy cables
Tim Webb guardian.co.uk
Monday 31 January 2011 19.44 GMT

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Three protesters were shot by during the Majaz mine demonstrations - one died

A mining company in Peru part-owned by a British FTSE 100 company agitated for the removal of teachers and Catholic bishops to new posts away from "conflictive mining communities", according to a leaked US cable obtained via WikiLeaks.

An executive of the company, in which BHP Billiton has a one-third stake, urged diplomats to persuade the Peruvian government and church to "rotate" such professionals out of sensitive areas, the secret document said.

The US and Canadian ambassadors, who hosted a summit of foreign mining executives in Peru in August 2005, requested specific examples of "anti-mining" teachers and bishops "who engage in inappropriate activities" to take to government and church leaders, the cable claimed.

The US embassy reported in another cable that the role of the church in the protests – mostly involving local indigenous communities – was "controversial and still open to question".

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/31/wikileaks-bhp-billiton-peru-mining-communities?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fmedia%2Frss+%28Media%29