WEST PAPUANS SHUT DOWN FREEPORT MINE
Published by MAC on 2007-03-29WEST PAPUANS SHUT DOWN FREEPORT MINE
29th March 2007
JAYAPURA (Tapol/Pacific Media Watch) - The Freeport mine in West Papua has been shut down by local Papuans since Tuesday.
Over 400 Papuans are blockading the road to the mine and the pipelines have been sabotaged making the local river system run clean for the first time in 30 years!
This is in response to an attack by police on Tuesday who shot at local on Freeport land trying to remove them.
One of those attacked has now died in hospital.
The locals are now declaring they will keep the mine closed until Indonesia and Freeport leave West Papua.
There are also reports of sabotage inside the mine itself by Papuan employees whilst Papuan students in Jakarta showed solidarity by invading the Freeport offices there and smashing the windows and the offices. 13 students have been arrested.
This is an amazing response by the Papuans. There is fear of reprisals by the army and police and fear of torture for those arrested. You can show solidarity with the Papuans by phoning Freeport/RTZ offices or phoning the police and army in Jakarta and/or Timika (the Freeport area). Show them the world is watching and demand that force not be used against the Papuans.