Police question 21 people over Freeport invasion

JAYAPURA. The Tembagapura Police in Mimika, Papua, are questioning 21 residents who allegedly trespassed into a mine owned by US-based gold and copper mining company Freeport Indonesia ( PTFI ) early Thursday. They are accused of taking tailings from the mining site located at Mile 74.

“We have taken 97 residents into custody for questioning. Currently, 21 people are still undergoing questioning at the police station,” Tembagapura Police chief First Insp. Hasmulyadi told thejakartapost.com on Thursday.

The incident began when around 400 local residents tried to enter the Mile 74 area to take the tailings at around 1 a.m. on Thursday, but at Mile 73, they were blocked by around 120 security personnel. “Prevented from entering the site, the residents tried to burn security posts and damage several vehicles belonging to the company,” said Hasmulyadi.

The police chief further said the invasion seemed to have been triggered by residents’ suspicions that the mining company had shut down its operations because in the past month, it had not channeled tailings into a river near the mining site. Traditional miners used to take the waste to find gold left over in it.

“It seems local residents were provoked by the fact that the company had stopped its operation because there was no more tailings, while in fact, the waste was not channeled into the river because waste channeling equipment was damaged,” Hasmulyadi said.

Papua Police chief Paulus Waterpauw deplored the invasion and called for an investigation into the case. “I have ordered the Security Task Force commander Sr. Comr. Joko Priadi to go to Tembagapura to investigate the incident. I also have asked the Mimika Police chief [Adj. Sr. Comr. Yustanto Mudjiharso] to continue to monitor the security situation in Tembagapura,” he said. (Nethy Dharma Somba)