Markus Makur, Timika – Hundreds of job-seekers from the Amungme and Kamoro tribes staged a rally in front of the Memangkawai Mining Institute office in Mimika regency, Papua, demanding that they be given priority for employment in local projects.
At least 400 job-seekers from the Amungme and Kamoro Job-seekers Solidarity rode public buses from the Mimika capital of Timika to the institute's office, which acts as a recruitment agency for giant gold mining company PT Freeport Indonesia in Kuala Kencana district.
Based on Papua's special autonomy law, indigenous people should be given priority for recruitment at the company.
"As far as we can see, PT Freeport Indonesia and its subsidiaries have disregarded the local people. Now, in our rally we demand that Memangkawai employs local people at PT Freeport," said Gerson Meno Imbir, the head of the solidarity group.
Imbir said that PT Freeport Indonesia had never paid much attention to indigenous people, thereby contributing to unemployment in the region. "Now in the era of special autonomy, indigenous people should be given priority in PT Freeport recruitment," he said.
Deputy chief of the solidarity group Pontius Kelanangame questioned the achievements of the Mimika Manpower and Resettlement Office, which is considered to have been disregarding the needs of the Papuan indigenous people.
Kelanangame said that he felt nothing had been done by the office to help the local people. "We want to be involved in development in Mimika regency rather than simply being made development objects," he said.
Kelanangame said that PT Freeport and its subsidiaries had to pay attention to indigenous job-seekers. "We support progress in Mimika regency, but please pay attention to the indigenous people," he said.
Yusuf Tapa, one of Nemangkawai Mining Institute's staff members, said his office had received notification of the aspirations of job-seekers from Amungme and Kamoro as well as five other tribes.
Nemangkawai, he said, has been committed to recruiting at least 57 workers per month for employment at PT Freeport's underground, operations and mechanic sections and another 120 have joined training sessions as apprentices.
"Nemangkawai has contributed greatly to the seven tribes in terms of the development of worker's skills. Those learning enough skills will be transferred to PT Freeport," he said.
From March 26 to 30 there will be a recruitment test for local apprentices in Mimika. If they pass the test they will be trained, Yusuf said. If not they will be given another chance to try again at a later date, he added.