Gen Endriartono denies reports on Freeport?s ?protection money? for TNI

Indonesian Armed Forces Commander (TNI) Gen Endriartono Sutarto Friday denied reports that U.S. copper and gold miner Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc had paid it about US$5.6 million last year to protect workers of the company?s copper and gold mine in Papua province.

The general admitted however that army troops stationed at Freeport?s projects in Papua had received only ?meal allowance and pocket money? from PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), the Indonesian unit of Freeport-McMoran which operates the copper and gold mine.

?I will ask Freeport to clarify whether it had given money to our personnel. What I know is that it had only given food allowance and pocket money to troops stationed there,? Endriartono told reporters in Jakarta as reported by Detik.com news website.

Endriartono said one battalion of army troops (around 600 people) had been deployed to protect Freeport?s mining projects in Papua?s Mimika regency. Low-level and separatist revolts, spearheaded by the so-called Free Papua Movement (OPM), had occurred in Papua.

AFX Global Ethics Monitor, a news service from AFP, reported recently that Freeport-MacMoran had disclosed the payment for TNI in a confidential document sent to the New York City comptroller?s office and to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. (*)