Reports of Securicor Being Used to Break the Freeport Strike

JUBI 21 September 2011

http://westpapuamedia.info/2011/09/27/reports-of-securicor-being-used-to-break-the-freeport-strike/

There are allegations about [multinational private security corporation] SecuriCor led [at Freeport] by someone called Ian Church being involved in intimidating workers. This follows in the wake of an argument which almost led to a physical fight between the security forces and sucuricore.
Virgo Solossa who heads the organisational division of SPSI, the union of Freeport workers, said yesterday that there were indications that Securicore would be used to spread propaganda to persuade the workers to return to work in Tembagapura.

'We know that this is going on at the moment and it seems that they will be deployed at post 32 Kuala Kencana, at post 28 in Bandara Moses Kilangin Timika, as post 26 in Gorong-Gorong, and at posts 38 and 50.

'We have passed this information to the workers and have urged all those who are involved in the strike not be influenced by these activities which may be intended to stir up emotions.' said Solossa.

Nevertheless, on Wednesday at around 7am, there was an argument that led to a physical confrontation which was prevented from becoming more heated because of the intervention of Brimob troops. As a result, some members of Freeport security ran back to their post in Bandara Moses Kilangin. But according to JUBI sources, more fighting followed although it didn't last long and no one was injured. on either side.

It is well known that some workers employed by Freeport-Indonesia who are contracted to work once every three months have been involved in these activities and they are required not to reveal their identities, either to other Freeport workers or to the public. Nevertheless these securicore forces have been deployed during the strike, although the reason for this is not known.

Any attempts to get information about this from the Freeport management would be very difficult indeed, as we have learnt from past experience, wrote JUBI.
These forces are reportedly doing things that are beyond their authority. There were some instances of attacks being made on the barracks where the workers sleep in an attempt to get them to go down to Timika (ie, to return to work).
After an incident that occurred today, Deny Abrianto, chief security of Freeport, took action against the workers for them to be immediately sacked and sent home. There was also a report that a senior manager, Simon Petrus Morin, was given a warning, that is to say he was order to go home. There were no disciplinary actions taken against Ian Church by the management.

It has not been possible to obtain further information from the CorComm (?) of Freeport-Indonesia.

[COMMENT: What comes across from this article in JUBI points to the use of private security forces to force the workers to end the strike. TAPOL]

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westpapuamedia | September 27, 2011 at 1:21 pm |

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