Policemen put on alert at a Papua nickel mine

Tens of policemen have been placed in full alert to guard a nickel mine owned by PT Tablasupa Nickel Mining in Depapte district, Jayapura regency after a group of local residents fired a gun at drilling facilities at the mining site.

Anthonius Wantri Yulianto, the head of the Jayapura police office, said in Sentani Tuesday that tens of policemen had been assigned to secure the mining area. ?In order to ensure security, we have assigned a number of policemen in the mining site upon request from the mining company,? he said as quoted by Antara.

Wantri said that the policemen were assigned to ensure not only the security of mining facilities and workers but also the people living near the mining site. He added that the opening of the mining area has incited protests from some members of the local people, who claimed that the mining company occupied their ancestral land.

The residents who opposed the presence of the mining operation recently damaged and burned existing mining facilities. To ensure the security at the mining site, tens of policemen will carry out around-the-clock protection against possible new attacks from the residents, Wantri added. (*)