9 Sep 2009

Indonesia sends hundreds of troops to guard huge mine in Papua

3:10 pm on 9 September 2009

Around 600 Indonesian soldiers have arrived in Timika in the Papua Highlands to back up local police guarding areas near the huge Freeport gold mine, where there have been deadly shootings in recent months.

The Jakarta Post reports the soldiers have joined more than 13-hundred police personnel in guarding the mining company.

In July, shootings occurred at the intersection between the town of Timika and Freeport's Grasberg mining site, killing an Australian employee, an Indonesian security guard and a policeman.

More shootings, apparently aimed at Freeport workers, disrupted the area in August.