Hundreds of Freeport workers go on strike to lament shootings

Hundreds of employees at PT Freeport Indonesia refused to resume work Monday in protest at the deteriorating security situation on road from Timika to Tembagapura in Papua.

The strike follows a spate of shootings by unknown gunmen on Freeport convoys along the road.

The employees, along with their wives, walked from the Gorong-Gorong bus terminal to the Mimika Legislative Council building to demand the company, police and the government to solve the security problem.

The women carried banners expressing their concerns about the safety of their husbands, and to urge the authorities to immediately address the issue.

The Freeport employees said they would not resume work at the company's giant Grasberg gold and copper mine in Tembagapura unless their demands for a guarantee of safety were met.

"We can't go back to work because our safety is not guaranteed yet," said workers' representative Bosko Magai.

Elisabeth Rumere, coordinator of the employees' wives' and children's forum, urged the Freeport management not to cut the striking workers' salaries.

Mimika Legislative Council speaker Yopi Kilangin also echoed the call for leniency and understanding for the striking workers.

He said police and Freeport security guards should ensure the safety of their employees.

Yopi also called on the community to provide information on the gunmen shooting at company buses.

"Whoever is carrying out these crimes should be arrested as soon as possible," he said.

Dozens of police officers stood guard outside the legislature and asked the crowd to wait for the hearing with the councilors, which has been scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. local time.

Deputy Mimika Police chief Comr. Jeremias Rontini said the rally was illegal, as the workers had failed to notify the police 24 hours beforehand.

In the end, though, the police did not disperse the crowd.

Separately, Papua Police announced they had met with rebel leader Kelly Kwalik in connection with the series of armed attacks targeting US-based gold miner Freeport in Mimika.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. F.X. Bagus Ekodanto told Antara on Monday the encounter took place earlier this month at an undisclosed location.

He added the police were represented by officers from the counterterrorism squad.

"*The meeting* was held in the vicinity of Timika, but the place and the officers present cannot be publicly disclosed," he said, adding the encounter was legitimate.

During the talks, Kelly claimed he was not responsible for the attacks that have killed four people and injured dozens of others since they first began on July 11.

Bagus denied allegations the police had set up the talk to justify their findings that local people were behind the violence.

At least seven Mimika residents face trial in Jayapura for the attacks.