London Mining NetworkWest Papua | London Mining Network

London2012: an Olympian exercise in corporate greenwashing

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:30:50 +0000

Amidst its lofty rhetoric about excellence and sustainability the London Olympics have chosen some of the world’s most unethical companies as corporate sponsors. Phil England presents powerful first-hand testimonies from victims and campaigners dismayed and angry at this betrayal.

See http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/london2012-olympian-exercise-corporate-greenwashing/.

Indonesian mine workers bludgeoned by state security forces

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:30:16 +0000

The world’s leading mineworkers federation, ICEM, has vigorously condemned recent attacks against employees of one of Indonesia’s biggest mines. A military brigade, serving the interests of London-listed Bumi Resources, has allegedly severely beaten twenty workers, causing them to be hospitalised. The men were protesting against the company’s failure to implement an agreement, negotiated last October at the country’s KPC coal mines. Although workers at Freeport-Rio Tinto copper-gold operations in Papua have now won some concessions, following extremely brutal action by “security” forces earlier this year, their own battle for basic rights is far from over. Comments Dick Blin of ICEM: “There always has been an indigenous movement here to stop all mining, and the [recent] strike gave this movement new momentum”.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11631.

Unrest in Indonesia’s Mines: Local Chaos and Global Injustice

Richard — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:50:59 +0000

Buried in Indonesia’s rich soil is a minefield of brutality, literally. Last year, the Grasberg mine of the Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold (in which Rio Tinto has a major investment and from which it profits enormously), one of the largest such operations in the world, shut down after thousands of workers launched a strike to demand higher wages. Work recently resumed, but the suffering continues while officials and multinationals maneuver to manage Southeast Asia’s resource curse.

See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-chen/unrest-in-indonesias-mines_b_1408221.html.

Amungme leader warns Freeport it could be closed down

Richard — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:56:09 +0000

The vast Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesian-occupied West Papua is a continuing source of tension between the Indonesian government and those campaigning for West papuan independence. London-based Rio Tinto helped to finance the mine’s expansion and continues to profit from it. The mine is operated by PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of US-based Freepor McMoRan. West Papuan Amungme Indigenous leader Anthonius Alomang, is now threatening to close the mine down.

See http://westpapuamedia.info/2012/01/24/amungme-leader-warns-freeport-it-could-be-closed-down/.

Proud Indonesian Miners’ End Strike at Grasberg

Richard — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:34:43 +0000

An agreement was signed in Jakarta on 14 December between PT Freeport Indonesia Workers’ Union (SP KEP SPSI) and management of the world’s largest gold and second largest copper mining complex – Grasberg in Papua province – that will end a 94-day strike on Saturday, 17 December.

The strike pitted a low-wage but determined and enlightened workforce against a global extractive resource company, US-based Freeport-McMoRan that has Grasberg at top of its massive revenue stream. (London-listed Rio Tinto has been indispensable to Freeport, acting as its critical 40% joint-venture partner at the mine for over a decade.)

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11374&l=1.

In Indonesia, Anger Against Mining Giant Grows

Richard — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:38:10 +0000

A foreign mining company, protected by hundreds of soldiers, extracts precious resources from a remote tropical forest. The mining enrages indigenous tribes, who resist. It may sound like a movie script, but it is in fact the story of the world’s largest gold mine, located high in the mountains of Indonesia’s Papua province and owned by Freeport-McMoRan, an American mining conglomerate.

(The Grasberg mine’s internal “security” is in the hands of PT Securicor Indonesia – part of G4S, the world’s most extended network of its kind that is based in the English county of West Sussex. London-listed Rio Tinto has also been indispensable to Freeport, acting as its critical 40% joint-venture partner at the mine for over a decade.)

See http://www.npr.org/2011/11/16/142346962/in-indonesia-anger-against-mining-giant-grows.

Workers at the mine have announced that the strike will be extended till 15 December. Negotiations are still ongoing.The union representing the Freeport workers, PUK SP – KEP SPSI, is asking for financial donations to support the strikers.

See http://aawl.org.au/content/donate-freeport-strikers.

See also: Twenty-two years of top-down resource exploitation in Papua
Among the companies benefiting from Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua is Britain’s Rio Tinto. See article from LMN member group Down to Earth’s November newsletter: http://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org/story/twenty-two-years-top-down-resource-exploitation-papua.

Papua: Freeport-Rio Tinto labour battles have no end in sight

Richard — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:20:07 +0000

Indonesian Police accused of accepting bribes

There’s no end in sight to the world’s biggest wages-related mining strike, as Freeport workers continue blockading (West) Papua’s Grasberg operations, following Indonesian police attacks that have already claimed several lives.

Meanwhile, the police have admitted receiving money from the company to perform “security” duties: funds one spokesperson described as “lunch money” but the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) calls “bribery”. Paying the police to assist in breaking lawful industrial action – and committing grave human rights abuses as a result – clearly runs counter to Indonesian law.

According to a report in Indonesian Tribunnews (cited by Mineweb on 7 November 2011), Indonesia’s National Police has now agreed to allow the KPK to investigate these allegations. A police spokesman recently admitted the force had received US$14 million last year from the company and that, among the alleged beneficiaries, were 356 police officers who each received US$130 per month.

The Grasberg mine’s internal “security” is in the hands of PT Securicor Indonesia – part of G4S, the world’s most extended network of its kind that is based in the English county of West Sussex.

London-listed Rio Tinto has also been indispensable to Freeport, acting as its critical 40% joint-venture partner at the mine for over a decade.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11285.

See also Indonesian National Police to permit Freeport security funding probe, http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?oid=138986&sn=Detail&pid=92730.

Papuans struggle – and die – as mining conflict intensifies

Richard — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:53:59 +0000

There’s no sign that conflicts between trade unionists and the management of the world’s largest gold-copper mine are close to resolution. On the contrary, within recent days several more people have been murdered in Freeport-Rio Tinto’s huge Grasberg lease area in Papua (West Papua). Moreover, one Indigenous delegate was shot dead by police, and 300 arrested, during a Congress held last week by the Papuan Peoples Congress.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11262.

See also They ask for wages, not bullets, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/24/they-ask-wages-not-bullets.html
Striking Freeport miners shot dead in Indonesian strike, http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11236
and Norway’s ‘ethical divestment’ from Rio Tinto, http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/201182913613680545.html.

Miner shot dead in Indonesian strike against Freeport-Rio Tinto

Richard — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:23:46 +0000

Security forces have opened fire on striking Freeport miners, killing at least one person and injuring six others. More than 1,000 workers were involved in the clashes on Monday at the Grasberg complex, one of the world’s biggest gold and copper mines, in Indonesia’s Papua province.

Grasberg is operated by US-owned company Freeport Indonesia but Rio Tinto helped finance mine expansion and receives a large proportion of the mine’s profits.

See http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/10/2011101052724758754.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/10/indonesian-forces-striking-mine-workers.

A history of violence at Indonesia mine

Richard — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:45:16 +0000

Rio Tinto has cosy ties with the Indonesian military, who have a long history of human rights abuses.

See http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/08/2011828142858857222.html#.TokJmXDLgQ0.mailto.

Papua: Freeport-Rio Tinto workers are on strike – again

Richard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:28:31 +0000

Indonesian workers at the world’s largest gold – and third biggest copper – mine have started a one month strike, demanding payment of a just wage. Eight thousand of them went on strike in July 2011 but failed to win meaningful concessions from the management.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11179.

The blacklisting of Rio Tinto

Richard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:37:25 +0000

Too many invest in companies – such as London-listed Rio Tinto – without any consideration of the ethics of doing so. Investing in conflict-affected and high-risk areas is a growing concern for responsible businesses and investors. Often times companies based in developed countries operate in lesser-developed, foreign markets, where governance standards are lax, corruption is high and business practices are poor.

See http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/2011823133628702154.html.

Strike pressures PT Freeport Indonesia into serious negotiations

Richard — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:16:40 +0000

Indigenous Papuans are waging a four-decade long nonviolent struggle for independence from Indonesia. At the heart of Papuan grievances lies Freeport, the world’s largest gold and copper mine, owned and operated by US based company Freeport McMoRan and their Indonesian subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia. Expansion of its Grasberg mine was heavily financed by London-based Rio Tinto, which takes a large share of the copper-gold mine’s profits.

See http://www.opendemocracy.net/alex-rayfield-claudia-king/strike-pressures-pt-freeport-indonesia-into-serious-negotiations.

Freeport-Rio Tinto workers on strike at Grasberg

Richard — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:42:04 +0000

Freeport-Rio Tinto workers in West Papua claim they are paid only US$1.5 an hour, while other Freeport workers around the world receive at least ten times this amount.

Two weeks ago, 8,000 of them went on strike at the Grasberg mine, the world’s biggest single source of mined gold and one of its leading copper producers.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11038.

Workers started returning to work Wednesday. Union chief Sudiro, who goes by only one name, said the decision was made after Freeport-McMoRan’s management agreed to reinstate six fired labour leaders and reopen negotiations about wages and benefits on July 20.

[The Grasberg mine is operated by the Indonesian subsidiary of US company Freeport-McMoRan but mine expansion was heavily financed by London-based Rio Tinto, which takes a large share of the copper-gold mine's profits.]

See http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jviJaSwIHhZCyTX5pOV7U-ZtPzyg?docId=7963ffae686d4a9a8093966d86ef7e91.

HIV/AIDS rates in West Papua rocket, partly thanks to Freeport-Rio Tinto

Richard — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:42:05 +0000

Official figures released this month show that the number of people with HIV/AIDS in West Papua has grown by more than 30% in just four months. The figure now stands at more than 17,000. However, doctors and others working in the region contest this number, believing it to be far higher. HIV infection rates in West Papua are 15 times Indonesia’s national average. The Papua AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA) revealed that the area with the highest increase and overall infection rate was Mimika, home to the giant Grasberg copper and gold mine. The American and British-owned mine, involving Freeport McMoRan and Rio Tinto, which has destroyed the land of the Amungme and Kamoro tribes, brings many outsiders, including sex workers, into the area.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/7294.