Open letter to Dr. Kris Lasslett
Dr. Lasslett,
Your disgraceful lampoon is remarkable.
It's really shameful if an expert in criminology completely ignores facts and reality. Your naive adoption of statements and claims from rebel groups on the ground disqualify you as an honest scientist. In all your text there is no single word on competing criminal gangs on the ground. You don't refer on intimidation or blackmail. You don't expose neither robbery nor murder committed by these groups. A comparison to mafia or triads structures would be more appropriate.
You even do not hesitate to refer to the infamous California court case that has been initiated by a small group of greedy PNG citizens to raise money from Rio Tinto. No word about the doubtful involvement of former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in all this as well. All information on this was made public and is accessible thanks to some leaked documents in the past.
If you ignore facts, you do not deserve to be called a scientist. I suppose that your work in Ulster, a region well known for rebellion and organised crime, troubled your vision. Your text unmasks you as a naive and fanatic anti-mining activist. Unfortunately you are also allowed to spread your ideas amongst young students. You shall not use your academic position as a platform for indoctrination and agitation.
Freedom of research and science does not mean promoting untruth!
I will not further comment on your ideas in future. It’s not worth it.
Axel G. Sturm
Escaldes-Engordany, 23.04.2012
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