1) New Zealander killed in Papua shooting

2) Foreign worker killed, two others severely injured in Freeport shooting

https://en.antaranews.com/news/145010/new-zealander-killed-in-papua-shooting

1) New Zealander killed in Papua shooting 

hours ago

Timika, Papua (ANTARA) - One New Zealand national died and two Indonesian workers were injured after members of a Papua armed group opened fire at the offices of PT Freeport Indonesia on Monday in Kuala Kencana subdistrict, Timika, Papua.

According to eyewitness accounts, eight members of a Papua armed group mounted a gun attack at the PT Freeport office building around 2 p.m. on Monday before fleeing into the forest behind the Kuala Kencana area towards Mile 39.

A New Zealander, identified as Grame Thomas Wall, was killed after he was hit by a bullet, said Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner I, Gusti Gede Era Adhinata, on Monday.

“There was one death. The remains of Grame Thomas Wall will be flown to New Zealand tomorrow,” said Adhinata.

Two more workers were also injured in the shooting, said police. They have been identified as Jibril MA Bahar, employed with PT Kuala Pelabuhan Indonesia, and Yoshepine, a construction worker with PT Freeport Indonesia. Bahar was shot in the right thigh, while Yoshepine was injured by bullet fragments on the leg.

The two have been admitted to the AEA clinic in Kuala Kencana.

Eyewitnesses have said they saw eight persons carrying firearms entering the PT Freeport office building.

"We suspect there were eight gunmen. Witnesses saw eight people carrying firearms," Adhinata said.

The attackers are believed to be members of the Kali Kopi armed group, led by Joni Botak.

At the time of the shooting, the office building was being guarded by six personnel from the Police Mobile Brigade's Amole Task Force.


A joint military and police team has been deployed to nab the gunmen. "We have intensified security in Kuala Kencana area and are coordinating with all units to hunt them down. We will conduct massive raids in prone areas,” said Adhinata.

He asked workers and families residing in Kuala Kencana to stay calm as the authorities have stepped up security in the region. (INE)

Related news: Tembagapura's security intensified as measure against rebels' terror
Related news: Papuan gunmen attack Freeport Indonesia's escort car

EDITED BY INE

Reporter: Evarianus Supar, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto

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https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/03/30/foreign-worker-killed-two-others-severely-injured-in-freeport-shooting.html

2) Foreign worker killed, two others severely injured in Freeport shooting

Victor Mambor 

The Jakarta Post  

Jayapura   /   Mon, March 30, 2020   /   08:38 pm

A foreign employee of gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia was shot dead on Monday by gunmen in Timika, the capital city of Mimika regency in Papua.

The employee, identified as Graeme Thomas Wall, was engaged in construction work with colleagues on the company site in Kuala Kencana district when the shooting took place on Monday afternoon, Freeport Indonesia spokesperson Riza Pratama said.

“The shooting happened on Monday, March 30, at around 2 p.m. local time. We express our deep condolences for one of our workers who was killed in the shooting at the office complex of Freeport Indonesia,” Riza told The Jakarta Poston Monday.

Two of Wall's colleagues, identified as Jibril Wahar and Yosephine, were admitted to Tembagapura Hospital with serious injuries, Riza said. Four other people sustained minor injuries and were treated in the office.

Local authorities and Freeport security officers have secured the location and evacuated all workers and residents near the vicinity following the attack.

Freeport management has issued an incident notification alert asking workers to postpone all activities and find shelter following the shooting.

“We will provide further information when there are reports of new developments from this incident,” Riza said.

Papua Police chief Paulus Waterpauw alleged that the perpetrators who launched the attack were under the command of Joni Botak, the leader of an armed gang operating in the Timika area, and who is also on the police's most-wanted list.

“The group is now being hunted by our joint team,” Waterpauw said.

Separatist group West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), however, claimed responsibility for the shooting.

“Our battlefield is at the Freeport and Grassberg mining sites. Kuala Kencana is also a war zone. We will not stop until Freeport closes down, so they better close at once,” TPNPB Timika operational commander Hengky Wamang told the Post.

Papua has been the hotbed of separatism for years and armed groups, which authorities say operate in several regencies in the province, are reported to have been behind numerous violent incidents in the region.

Earlier this month, the police said some 790 people fled their homes in mountainous areas around the Freeport mining site on March 7 to take refuge at the Tembagapura Police headquarters in Timika over fears of an armed criminal group, which had reportedly terrorized the villagers.

Security authorities previously reported that armed groups had been shooting at Indonesian Military (TNI) and police guard posts. The residents’ access to basic needs, such as food and health care, had reportedly been restricted by armed men who blocked roads.

Authorities also claimed that the local residents were still traumatized from their previous encounter with the armed group in November 2017, when its members blocked access into and out of several villages. (mfp)

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