Freeport confirms shooting; one died

An employee of PT Freeport Indonesia, which operates the Grasberg gold and copper mine in Timika, Papua, died after the Police opened fires to disperse a protesting group of workers in a bus terminal in Gorong-Gorong, Timika, Papua, on Monday morning, a company official said.

The terminal is a pick-up point before employees are taken to the Grasberg mine in Tembagapura using buses provided by the company.

Ramdani Sirait, the company?s spokesman, said that the incident, which also injured three other workers, started when a number of employees who had staged a protest in front of Freeport?s Workers Union office in Timika intended to enter the terminal. ?They wanted to disrupt the departure of other workers who're going for work,? Ramdani said in an emailed statement.

The protesting employees were then blocked by police officers, causing a stand-off. According to Ramdani, the protesters became aggressive and brutal leaving the officers with no choice but to open fires. ?As a result of the incident, one employee passed away and several other workers and police members injured. The injured ones are currently being treated in local hospital and clinics,? Ramdani said.

Frans Wonmaly of the Freeport?s workers union confirmed the incident, saying Piter Ayami Seba died in hospital about half an hour after the shooting. ?Piter was shot in the chest and died because of it.?

Frans went on that the protesting workers wanted to enter the terminal to continue their protest to the mining area. ?These protesting workers represent tribes that hold indigenous land rights in the mining area. They intended to go up (to the mining area) to close it down as the management has until today refused to negotiate. But they were blocked and eventually got shot at by the police.?

Juli Parongrongan, the union?s spokesman, failed to understand the motive behind the shooting. ?We did not provoke violence. All of a sudden, the management unleashed the police who then opened fires,? said Juli.

Juli added that the union planned to parade Piter?s body on the streets leading up to the regional House of Representatives office in Mimika. ?The body is an evident of Freeport?s arrogance.? (*)