TNI Deploys Company Of Soldiers To Secure Timika

Timika, Papua, March 18 (Antara) - The Indonesian military (TNI) is deploying a company of soldiers to help the police protect Papua`s Timika city against possible subsequent clashes among traditional gold miners in the area. "We are deploying a company of soldiers from the Eme Meme Kangasi infantry battalion 754. They are made ready at the Eme Neme Yauware building in Timika to secure the city," said commander of Mimika district military command Lt. Col. Dwi Lagan Safruddin in an interview with Antara here on Monday. Dwi said that every night at least 40-50 soldiers conduct a joint patrol with police officers to a number of areas in and around Timika to prevent any clash among traditional gold miners following last Friday`s clash which claimed the lives of five people. "We are also deploying personnel at the Timika city military command, the district military command 1710 station, the cavalry detachment station and the Ima Jaya Keramo infantry brigade 20 station," Dwi said. He added that the TNI is also ready to assign several of its personnel to assist the police in securing the area. According to him, the soldiers involved in the joint patrol with the police come from all units such as the military police, the cavalry detachment, the ENK infantry battalion and the district military command. "Security at PT Freeport Indonesia mining area is fully the responsibility of the Amole task force which consists of police and military personnel," Dwi said. Lieut. Col. Dwi said the military also assist the police and PT Freeport Indonesia in evacuating thousands of gold miners out of Kali Kabur (Aijkwa River) which has become a traditional gold mining site. "Since yesterday, we have prepared a truck to evacuate gold miners from Kali Kabur at Mile 50," Dwi said. Security conditions in and around Timika have been tense in the past few days following a clash between two groups of gold miners in Kali Kabur area at Mile 34 -- 35. At least five people were killed in the clash.