Amungme tribe sues Freeport

Amungme tribe in Papua has filed a lawsuit in the South Jakarta District Court against copper and gold miner PT. Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) and its parent company Freeport McMoRan Cooper and Gold Inc., accusing them of breaking promises to provide certain amounts of compensation to the tribe.

The tribe claims ownership over PTFI's mining area in Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua.

In addition to Freeport, the tribe also filed a suit against the Indonesian government, the Papua governor, PT Indocopper Investama and Mimika regent in the same court.

The court began hearing the case last week, where the judge asked the plaintiff to seek an out-of-court settlement. But Titus Natkime, the representative of the tribe, refused the offer.

Titus said that the operation of Freeport had destroyed the tribe? land, and for this, the tribe sought for a financial compensation of abut US$30 billion. ?They have to pay compensation of $30 billion for the damages caused by the company since it began its mining activities in 1967,? he added.

Amungne tribe claims ownership over about 2.6 million hectares of land which are now used by Freeport as its mining site. (*)