Locals block Freeport?s road
Tuesday, November 7 2006 - 02:24 AM WIB
At least 50 people blocked the main road to copper and gold mining areas of Freeport Indonesia in Mimika, Papua Monday to protest the trial of seven Papuans charged with killing of two American teachers near the company's mining site in 2003, Kompas reported on Tuesday.
The protesters mostly comprising families and relatives of the defendants led by local religious leaders Ishak Onawame and Damaris Onawame blocked the road by putting up tents in front of the check point in the Mil 28 area.
The 50 people protested the government's decision to move the trial to Jakarta. They said that the trial of the seven defendants was unfair.
Kompas said that the local police managed to disperse the protesters and opened the blockade at 6.55 a.m. "The blockade only lasted about 20 minutes," Mimika police said.
Meanwhile Freeport spokesman Budiman Moerdijat said that the protests did not affect the company's mining operations. "Mining operations continue as usual," he said. (*)