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Shooting incidents mar Freeport operations
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A heavy vehicle drives through an open pit mine at gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia’s open pit facility in Grasberg, Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)
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nidentified gunmen opened fire on Saturday at operational vehicles of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) in its mining area in Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua, highlighting a security breakdown at the site.
While no serious casualties have been reported, the incidents in the world’s biggest integrated gold mining site come at a time when the government is intensifying its demand to PTFI’s parent company, United States-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan (FCX), to sell its controlling stake in PTFI to local entities.
Gunshots were heard twice at two different spots in PTFI’s working area, according to witnesses and authorities. The armed suspects targeted two vehicles, injuring one person who sustained broken glass wounds.
The first shooting occurred in the morning when the victim, M. Jamil Lampung, 49, drove the company’s car to pick up his colleague waiting at a sports hall for a patrol. Jamil had to undergo light surgery on his upper arm, however the medical team confirmed he was in stable condition.
The gunmen shot at the car, hitting the left door and front window. Less than 15 minutes later, the second shooting occurred, hitting a vehicle driven by US citizen Joseph Nelson Hatch Jr. , 49. Hatch was also driving to the sports hall to pick up an official for a patrol. The bullets hit the car’s left door and front tire.
“The driver [Hatch] kept driving and headed to the Tembagapura Police. He sustained no injuries,” Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AM Kamal said, adding that the police were hunting down the gunmen.
There have been at least four shooting incidents on the mining site since August.
