Military wants soldiers to stop guarding Freeport

The Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said Monday that he would withdraw troops currently deployed at several vital installations, including PT Freeport Indonesia's gold and copper mine in Papua, saying that the security duties were "not part of our main tasks," The Jakarta Post, Koran Tempo and Investor Indonesia newspapers reported on Tuesday.

Speaking in a press conference at TNI headquarters, Endriartono, nevertheless, said that for the time being, troops would still guard ExxonMobil gas operations in Aceh province due to security concerns. Aceh has been under martial law since May 19, when the government launched a military operation to crush separatist rebels.

"Based on the Law No. 3/2002 on state defense, guarding vital installations is not part of our duties. We are not mercenaries either and the decision to guard the vital objects did not come from us, but from the government due to security considerations," Endriartono said. "We do not wish to be a scapegoat should something happen to the companies."

Endriartono only said the company managements would be responsible for security. Since the formal separation of the police force from the military, internal security affairs should now be the responsibility of the police.

The TNI submitted the proposal on troops withdrawal to the government in Nov. 4, which it expects would be immediately approved.

"Basically we will pull out all our personnel at national vital objects such as in Freeport, Soroako, Bontang and so on," the TNI Commander said, referring to mining and energy sites.

He denied suggestions that his proposal was linked to a U.S. decision to withhold assistance for TNI unless they cooperate fully with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe into the ambush killing of two Americans at Freeport in August last year.

The military denies any involvement.

"We never introduce changes for the sake of US$400,000," Endriartono said, referring to the aid planned to fund military education program for one year.

Freeport has said it paid the Indonesian military about $5.6 million last year to protect its employees in Papua.

Military spokesman Maj.Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin said some 1,800 troops are being stationed at a number of mining sites and oil fields across the country.

They are PT Arun LNG (Iskandar Muda Military Command, Aceh); PT Exxonmobil (Iskandar Muda); PLTA Sigura-gura (Bukit Barisan Military Command); PT Caltex Dumai (Bukit Barisan); PT Inalum (Sri Wijaya Military Command); Plaju Oil Refinery and Sungai Gerong (Sri Wijaya); Suralaya thermal Power Plant (Siliwangi Military Command); PT Dirgantara (Siliwangi); Cilacap Oil Refinery (Diponegoro Military Command); Paiton power plant (Brawaijaya Military Command); Petro Kimia Gresik (Brawijaya); Puspitek Serpong (Jakarta Military Command); PT Badak LNG Bontang (Trikora Military Command); PT Vico Muara Badak (Trikora); PT Nikel Soroako (Trikora); and PT Freeport (Trikora). (*)