0 Causes Unclear in Fatal Papua Clashes

Six people have died in a clash between two ethnic groups that started on Friday around Freeport Indonesia’s Tanggul Tengah mining area in Papua. The conflict occurred around a river bank at Freeport’s Mile 34-35 area, said Freeport head of communications Daisy Primayanti. She said the company believed those participating in the conflict were illegal miners and the dispute centered on access to mining areas. 

“We are saddened by the incident that resulted in six civilians killed. Until now the company’s internal security officers and the police are still working together to monitor the situation to prevent the clash from happening again,” Daisy said on Wednesday. But based on reports by news outlet Gatranews, the cause of the clash between the two Papuan ethnic groups, the Damal and Key clans, remains unclear. 

“Although the situation in the city of Timika was conducive [to peace], people were advised to not go out to the Kwamki Lama area and were advised to remain cautious,” said an anonymous source quoted by Gatranews, referring to the still-tense situation on Sunday. According to one report, two Damal group members from Kwamki Lama went to the area to check on animals traps they had installed. Soon after, 30 people arrived at the scene and accused the men of stealing goods from the Key clan. 

The accusation led to an argument and later the duo were mobbed by their accusers. One of the men escaped the scene and returned with dozens of men from the Kwamki Lama area to help with the dispute. The men who arrived were equipped with weapons, escalating the conflict. But according to a separate report, the incident stemmed from an earlier conflict between the groups over mining locations. The six people killed in the violence have been identified as Fitron, Etimus Mom, Rusli Rizal, Namura, Syamsul and Yosep Watfian. The bodies of Rusli and Etimus were discovered on Saturday at miles 32 and 34, respectively. 

Rusli’s body was discovered with serious arrow wounds. Yosep’s body was found b y Yuli Mangera, a local resident who was doing road construction. Yuli discovered Yosep with an arrow stuck in his body. Yuli reported his discovery to the Kuala Kencana Police who immediately sent a forensic team to the location to identify the body. Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr I Gede Sumerta Jaya said on Tuesday night that Yosep’s body had been taken to the Mimika regional hospital for an autopsy. 

Some of the victims died after being hit by poison arrows, while others sustained serious blows from blunt objects. Local authorities are still investigating the cause of the clash. A disputed mining area had reportedly been set ablaze by the disputing parties. Freeport’s copper and gold mining areas in Papua have been the backdrop for numerous violent clashes since 2009. In November 2011, eight illegal miners were shot and killed by police for encroaching Freeport’s mining site in Paniai.

source : the jakarta globe