Indonesia wants to accelerate oil spill lawsuit
Almost seven years after an oil spill near Semau Island in Indonesia, seaweed farmers in the region are calling on Australian Attorney General George Brandis to speed up the AUD200m ($158m) class-action lawsuit launched in August last year. Thousands of seaweed farmers from East Nusa Tenggara, one of Indonesia's poorest regions, said their industry has been devastated by the oil spill.

Jakarta: One of Indonesia's most senior ministers has called on Attorney-General George Brandis to help speed up a class action on behalf of thousands of seaweed farmers who claim their crops were devastated by a 2009 oil spill.

More than 13,000 seaweed farmers from East Nusa Tenggara, one of the poorest regions in Indonesia, launched a $200 million class action against PTTEP Australasia in the Federal Court in Sydney last August.

Maritime Coordinating Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters he understood the class action, which is being run by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, was taking place right now in Sydney.

"I just tried to reach George Brandis to ask their support in order to speed up this process," he said. "It's been ... nearly eight years. It's too long."