Irian copper town calm but tense after riots
Irian copper town calm but tense after riots
JAKARTA (JP): The Irian Jayan copper town of Timika and the Tembagapura mine of PT Freeport Indonesia, the giant American copper and gold mining company, were calm but tense yesterday after three days of rioting, residents said.
Bruce Marsh, Freeport environmental manager, said the situation in Timika and Tembagapura was calm and normal, and the company was preparing to resume its mining and milling operation.
The company was forced to shut down operations on Monday because of the riots that were aimed chiefly at its facilities.
"A number of Freeport officials are checking on the company's equipment and facilities to make sure that they are ready for the mining and milling operations," Marsh told The Jakarta Post by phone yesterday. "Hopefully, we can start the operation in a matter of hours."
Harimau Sutney, a Timika resident active in protecting the interests of the people living around the Freeport area, told the Post separately that the situation was calm yesterday, but that it was tense, with soldiers patrolling the streets.
Anggaipak, another resident, said many people were seen on the streets, and shops were reopened yesterday.
Marsh said the Timika airport was reopened for Freeport planes yesterday after being closed the previous day. Other civilian flights would begin landing and leaving from the airport today.
Strategy
James Moffett, chairman of the board of New Jersey-based Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Co. which owns Freeport Indonesia, was expected in Timika yesterday, to help develop a strategy to calm the local people, Marsh said.
Moffett had been in Biak since Tuesday, he added.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc has an 82% stake in Freeport Indonesia, the Indonesian government and PT Investama Copper, each have 9% stakes.
The riots which began in Tembagapura on Sunday and later spread to Timika, saw thousands of people attacking Freeport office buildings and houses belonging to its employees.
A number of Freeport vehicles were commandeered by the rioters, and Timika police precinct and the local airport were also damaged in the riot.
The riots had their origins in rumors that a local resident had been killed after he was hit by a Freeport car in a road accident on Saturday. The rumor turned out to be false -- the resident was treated in a hospital and discharged the same day -- but it quickly gained currency among the local people, many of whom harbor resentment against Freeport.
Marsh said that there were no serious damage to properties or facilities belonging to Freeport. "There were only broken windows," he said.
He denied an earlier Antara report suggesting that three Freeport employers were badly injured in the riot.
A few sustained light injuries, he said.
He confirmed that two men were killed in an accident involving a truck that had been commandeered by the rioters. But he said the truck belonged to a Freeport contractor.
Harimau, however, said that the number of casualties had risen to four by yesterday, although he did not have any details on the death of the other two persons.
Marsh said several Freeport vehicles were commandeered or stolen by the rioters.
The company, he added, was still assessing the extent of damage after the riots.
In Jakarta, legislator Sabam Sirait said the riots were an illustration of the long standing conflict of interests between Freeport and the local people.
Sabam suggested that the Indonesian government should raise its stake to obtain majority control of Freeport and force the company to resolve its conflict with the local people.
He made these remarks during a hearing between Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and the House of Representatives' Commission I which deals with foreign affairs and domestic security. (imn)