Papua House representative – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – A Working Committee on Freeport’s Boundary established by Commission IV of the Papua Legislative Council to tackle the issues related to the border mining areas of PT Freeport Indonesia would conduct a hearing with the regents who claimed Freeport mining area has intervened into their administrative territorial.
Working Committee Chairman Thomas Sondegau said it would invite the regents of Paniai, Deiyai, Dogiyai, Intan Jaya, Nduga, Puncak and Mimika that the latter is currently Freeport’s operation area.
“We will conduct a meeting with the regents from those regencies. They claimed Freeport’s underground mining areas have entered their regions. We want to hear their explanation directly,” he told Jubi by phone on Thursday (23/6/2016).
Besides hearing with the regents of six regencies, the working committee would also coordinate with the provincial government and related offices. After the meeting, it schedules to meet the representatives of Freeport. “If we have listened from many parties and had the required data, then we would meet with Freeport,” he said.
He said the working committee would ask this gold and copper company to explain the boundaries of their mining areas, in particular the underground mining areas. “Furthermore, Freeport impressed being closed all the time. We want to know their boundaries and which areas belong to them on their version,” he said.
In addition, he added, the central government also recognized Mimika as the only regency where Freeport’s mining activities are executed. While, Freeport is suspected already expanding its operation into other regencies surround its mining areas.
The Chairman of the Council’s Commission IV Boy Markus Dawir said the Working Committee on Freeport Boundary is working to measure the areas belong to the American Company. “It would be ensured whether the operation areas are fully in the MImika Regency or have expanded to other regencies. It is important, because despite relating to the community tenure rights and administrative region, it also affect to the Regional Income of related regencies,” said Dawir. (Arjuna Pedemme/rom)
