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Jakarta Post

Police still in the dark over attack mastermind

Eight suspects have been named in a series of shooting incidents near PT Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg mine in Timika, Papua, this month, but authorities are still not able to pinpoint the masterminds after a two-week investigation

Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post)
Timika
Tue, July 28, 2009

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Police still in the dark over attack mastermind

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ight suspects have been named in a series of shooting incidents near PT Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg mine in Timika, Papua, this month, but authorities are still not able to pinpoint the masterminds after a two-week investigation.

Police have identified the suspects behind the attacks that led to the deaths of three people, including an Australian worker and security guard of the US gold mining firm, as an "armed group of criminals".

It remains unknown if the group is connected to the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) or security forces, as is widely being touted.

The issue was discussed Monday at a closed-door meeting between Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. F.X. Bagus Ekodanto, Cendrawasih military commander Maj. Gen. A.Y. Nasutionan, and Freeport Indonesia CEO Armando Mahler.

Also in attendance were the Papua legislative council deputy speaker Kamarudin Watubun and Mimika Regent Klemen Tinal.

At a press conference after the meeting at the Rimba Hotel in Timika, Barnabas said the police had tried hard to root out several men blamed for the shooting incidents that began on July 11.

The police will continue hunting down the "main actors" in the attacks, he added.

"We discussed two important issues at the meeting: First, the shooting incidents at Freeport's mine, and second, security in Papua in general," Barnabas said.

"The police also explained the chronology of the incidents according to their operating procedures."

The governor said he had also asked the police whether the attacks were related to general dissatisfaction among the local populace over Freeport's activities, or whether there were other motives connected to other parties.

He added the police had claimed the attacks were carried out by armed criminals.

Police chief Bagus Ekodanto said an eighth man had been arrested earlier in the day, but declined to give details about any of the suspects now in custody, including a reported Freeport employee.

Barnabas defended the heavy-handed arrests of suspects, saying they had been made according to the "facts and evidence" found at the shooting scenes.

The governor, however, demanded the police publicly announce all progress made during the investigation, and take proper measures to ensure all mining activities at the world's largest gold and copper mine resume as normal.

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