Vandalism affects Freeport mining work

Vandalism affects Freeport mining work

JAKARTA (JP): PT Freeport Indonesia closed down its mining operation in Tembagapura, Irian Jaya, yesterday after it suffered a series of acts of vandalism over the weekend.

The shutdown is a "precautionary measure", Edward J. Pressman, a spokesman for the giant American copper and gold mining company, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Yesterday's closure would allow the company to clear the broken glass caused by the vandals, he explained.

Pressman said the mine is expected to be fully operational again today.

He said that after the incident, it was feared that the company's employees would not be able to keep their minds on their work. The break would allow them time to relax, he added.

He declined to give details of the incident.

Officials in Irian Jaya were not available to confirm or deny any figures, but sources close to the Freeport operation said between 150 and 200 people came to the site on Sunday afternoon and began pelting a hospital and other facilities with stones.

No serious casualties were reported.

The crowd were believed to have been outsiders, in town since last week to attend a religious ceremony.

People from the local Amungme tribe in Tembagapura were not thought to have taken part, the sources said.

One source suggests that the protesters had acted spontaneously and had been stirred by rumors and hearsay.

The exact cause of the disturbance is still unclear.

One version said that it was started by the report that a man was run down by a Freeport vehicle on Saturday. Although he was treated in a hospital and discharged the same day, some of the rumors in town suggested he had died or had sustained serious injuries. These rumors incited anger among the people and thus the protests began.

The Sunday incident highlights the precarious situation in Tembagapura between Freeport and the people around its mining operation. (mds)