Tensions between native Papuan workers, who come from seven various tribes, at PT Freeport Indonesia and police escalated on Monday after the workers blocked the access road heading to the mine.
According to Andre, a PT Freeport Indonesia employee detained in Tembagapura, Papua, the tension between the workers and police had started on one of roads leading to the mine.
“The authorities were heading up to the mill with several pipe operators to deal with the stockpile that had started to overflow,” Andre said as reported by tempointeraktif.com.
However, native Papuan workers physically blocked the group, eyewitnesses reported.
Tembagapura Police chief Adj.Comr. Sudirman denied that there were problems in the area.
“The situation is safe,” he said.