Risky Business: The Grasberg Gold Mine An ... - Free West Papua

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DEATH OF A DANI MAN Arecent,but previously unpublished,incident at the mine town of Tembagapura demonstrates who is suffering from the bad business practices at Grasberg. On 13th September 1997 Yapenes Rony Magai,a Dani man, made it home after having apparently suffered a severe beating at the hands of PT Freeport security and police. It was probably a punishment for eating without permission at the company's mess in Tembagapura,while visiting friends from his home down in Kwamki Lama 22 . Rony Magai’s hands were cuffed and he had bruises to his head and body.While still conscious he recounted the treatment from the company staff people to three witnesses.Photos were taken of his body. He was taken to the hospital where a doctor confirmed that the marks were consistent with blows from a beating. Rony Magai fell into a coma at the hospital and died the next day 23 . PT Freeport will try to say that was an isolated event, but the record stands as a testament to the fact that it is not 24 .Taken in the context of the deaths over the last twenty years this is a symptom of the systematic human rights abuses stemming from the PT Freeport’s operations (SEE also page 7).It is the company’s responsibility to stop them. Instead,in this case the company tried to cover up its responsibility in the form of an "Inter Office Memo" (see inset) on the 17th September 1997.As you can see, in response to the rumors of physical abuse the management assures their staff that "a physical observation of his body by us found no outwardly visible signs of a beating" (our emphasis). In claiming that the medical professionals stated that Rony died of malaria they directly contradict the account of Rony Magai’s father and brother (a PT Freeport employee).They were told by the doctor present when Rony was brought to the hospital that the deceased had been beaten.A common cause of death for someone suffering malaria,and who is kicked and punched as Rony Magai was, is a ruptured spleen—a painful way to die. As for the question of an autopsy certainly one should have been carried out.However the family were not even allowed by police to see the body. 4 And though it was in PT Freeport’s best interest—if they had nothing to hide—to tell the family that they had the right to insist on an autopsy the management did not.Such inaction seems to contradict the claim that management wanted one performed. In a letter responding to the Inter Office Memo 25 , Isak Magai and Yapanus Magai (the deceased’s father and brother) expressed their regret and anger over PT Freeport’s actions during and after the death of their loved one.They demanded that PT Freeport take responsibility for the actions of their staff—instead in the usual cold-blooded way the management continues to wash their hands of the death of this Dani man. Isak and Yapanus Magai have yet to even receive a reply from the management. Independent Annual Report on P.T. Freeport Indonesia
MAP 1: PT FREEPORT CONCESSION AREA This map, based on Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold’s own, depicts the concession area. Note the enormous size of the Ajkwa Deposition Area, as well as the number of security force bases (areas highlighted). N 0 10 m i l e s Independent Annual Report on P.T. Freeport Indonesia 5
Page 1 and 2: RISKY BUSINESS The Grasberg Gold Mi
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTION Freeport Indonesia lik
Page 5: HISTORICAL HORROR It is well-docume
Page 9 and 10: HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AT PT FREEPORT
Page 11 and 12: THE PAINMAKER Freeport’s parent c
Page 13 and 14: A WEEPING WOUND Grasberg has alread
Page 15 and 16: TOP TEN RISKS FOR INVESTORS IN PT F
Page 17 and 18: THE LESS WELL-KNOWN IMPACTS SOIL Du
Page 19 and 20: DEATH OF A RAINFOREST Federal Gover
Page 21 and 22: SON OF GRASBERG I 9 3 n 1997, a Wor
Page 23 and 24: BOYS ON THE BOARD CEO Moffett is jo
Page 25 and 26: FREEPORT ELSEWHERE Controversy over
Page 27: Exposing corporate environmental an

Risky Business: The Grasberg Gold Mine An ... - Free West Papua

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