Rebels Kill New Zealander at Grasberg Mine in Papua, Indonesia

Separatist rebels killed a New Zealand national working at a giant gold and copper mine operated by U.S.-based Freeport-McMoran in Indonesia’s Papua province and wounded two Indonesian employees during an attack on Monday, police said.

The attack was the latest violence to hit the Tembagapura area near the Grasberg mine, the world’s largest gold mine. Since late February clashes between armed Papuan separatists and government security forces have left a police officer, a soldier and four insurgents dead.

“Members of the armed criminal group fired at three PT Freeport Indonesia employees,” Papua police spokesman Ahmad Musthofa Kamal told BenarNews.

“One victim died and two others were wounded,” he said.

Kamal identified the slain New Zealander as Graeme Thomas Wall, 57, and the other two injured employees as Jibril M.A. Bahar, 49, and Ucok Simanungkalit, 52. Jibril suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right thigh, and Ucok was hit in the right elbow and back, Kamal said.

The shooting occurred in the company’s office and housing area in Kuala Kencana, in Mimika regency, PT Freeport Indonesia spokesman Riza Pratama said.

“We are very saddened by the loss of a colleague who died in the shooting incident in the PT Freeport Indonesia office area, in Kuala Kencana,” Riza told BenarNews.

He said all staff had been transferred to a safe area nearby.

Full story: BenarNews

Ronna Nirmala
Jakarta