Papua Assembly Urges Open Probe of Freeport Mine Shootings

July 24, 2009
Christian Motte

The Papuan People’s Assembly, a body representing the cultural and social rights of Papuans, on Friday urged the police to find those responsible for a recent series of armed attacks at the massive Freeport gold and copper mine in Timika.

Frans Wosprakrik, the deputy chief of the assembly, also known as the MRP, asked that the culprits be found quickly, and pledged that the assembly would support the investigation as long as it was open and fair. He also said that calls demanding the closure of PT Freeport Indonesia’s mining operations there by some communities and nongovernmental organizations were unwarranted.

“We can look at the problem and find the solutions to it,” Wosprakrik said. “It might be that people’s rights were neglected, which needs to be addressed.”

He said those behind the Timika shootings likely had grievances against the mining company’s operations in the area, speculating that the attacks were carried out by people who felt personally disgruntled by Freeport.

“If there is dissatisfaction, it must be revealed, solved and ended,” he said.

Bery Nahdian Forqan, the executive director of leading environmental watchdog Walhi, is among those calling on Freeport to end its activities in Papua. He has argued that unless this was done, the level of violence would continue to increase.

“The best way to solve the problem is to stop the source of the problem, which is Freeport,” he said.

Rights group Imparsial said in a press release that the attacks in Timika had to have been planned and conducted by trained assailants, with experience in handling weapons and the expertise to evade tight security.

Arkilaus Arnesius Baho, the chairman of the National League for the Struggle of the People of West Papua, said that the primary motivation behind the violence in Timika was likely the perceived injustice among ethnic Papuans surrounding the exploitation of the province’s natural resources.

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