Govt says no halt in Freeport operations

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 03/21/2006 8:34 AM

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Jayapura

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated Monday that PT Freeport Indonesia's mining operations would continue in Papua while a financial audit of the distribution of funds to the local community was conducted.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS also said Sunday the government would honor the contract it signed with the giant U.S. company despite demands in Papua that the firm be shut down.

The President led a limited Cabinet meeting Monday in response to the heightened tension in Papua after a deadly clash between students and law enforcers outside Cendrawasih State University in Abepura, Papua, last Thursday.

Three officers from the police's elite Mobile Brigade and a member of the Air Force were killed and dozens of other security personnel and civilians injured from rocks thrown by about 1,000 protesters, who said the company's presence was not beneficial to the local community.

""PT Freeport Indonesia would have to continue its operations for the interest of all parties,"" Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono was quoted as saying by Antara newswire.

Boediono, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, said the Freeport issue was discussed at length during the three-hour meeting.

Widodo said Freeport had provided community development funds of about Rp 400 billion (US$43.7 million) yearly, besides providing funds of about Rp 5 billion each for the Amungme and Komoro, the largest tribes in the area.

""We will conduct an audit to determine whether the funds were really distributed to the community or not,"" he said.

Meanwhile, in Jayapura, a group of eight lawyers is providing legal assistance to 14 suspects in the clash, now being questioned by the Papua Police.

The lawyers are from the Jayapura Legal Aid Institution, Papua Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Democracy Alliance for Papua and West Papua Elsham.

""We are giving legal assistance to the suspects while they undergo the legal process,"" Democracy Alliance director Laifah Aum Siregar told reporters in Jayapura.

Their priority is to meet the suspects at Papua Police Headquarters.

Meanwhile, Papua Police Criminal Reserve Director Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpauw said the police also were seeking 12 others reportedly involved in the incident, including alleged ringleaders of the protest Cosmos Yual, Henny Lani and Yan Mendenas.

Currently in police custody are Luis Gedi, Selpius Bobbi, Fery Pakage, Feniur Waker, Alex C Wayangkau, Othen Dapyal, Thomas Ukago, Elkana Lokobal, Elyas Tamaka, Patrisius Aronggear, Markus Kayame, Moses Lokobal, Musa Asso and Jefri Obadja Pawika.

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