Freeport Indonesia copper mine access to resume after clashes – by Sam Wanda (Reuters U.S. – August 20, 2017)

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TIMIKA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Limited access to the giant Grasberg copper mine in eastern Indonesia is expected to resume on Monday, its operator said, after hundreds of former workers blockaded the site and clashed with police.

Trouble erupted at the mine, which is operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoRan Inc, during a demonstration over employment terms on Saturday afternoon.

Three former workers were injured after police fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse the blockade, according to a union official representing the ex-workers. Freeport said at least four contractors were also injured.

Buildings, vehicles and motorbikes belonging to the company and its employees were also torched in the incident in the province of Papua, Freeport said, and access to the world’s second-largest copper mine was restricted due to safety concerns.

Freeport Indonesia spokesman Riza Pratama praised local authorities on Sunday for “restoring security control” but also continued to advise workers to avoid traveling to the area.

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