Freeport In Indonesia: The Long Story Of Environmental And Impoverishing Damage In Papua

The portrait of the mining carried out by Freeport in Grasberg, Mimika, Papua. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - No one doubts the existence of Suharto and the New Order (Orba) against the economic crisis. They have a strategy to open the tap for foreign investment. This condition was used by Freeport McMoran. The mining company from the United States (US) wants to dredge up Papua's natural resources and succeed.

His presence made Freeport and the New Order rulers profitable. However, not with indigenous peoples in Papua. Freeport's presence is considered a disaster. Instead of Freeport only destroying nature, the company is the culprit for mushrooming poverty.

The efforts of the Soeharto and New Order governments to get out of the crisis left by the Old Order were not easy. The owner of the power tries to change Indonesia's qibla which used to lean towards the eastern block (Uni Soviet) to the western bloc (United States and its Allies). This narrative makes Indonesia like surrendering to the capital capital capital system.

Investment faucets are wide open. This condition made big companies in the world interested in entering Indonesia. The most obvious interest emerged from the world mining figure as well as entrepreneur, James Robert Moffett.

The founder of the mining company, McMoran Exploration (later to: Freeport McMoran) is interested in mining in Papua. He poured large investments to dredge copper from Papua and succeeded.

Freeport has also started operating in Ertsberg, Mimika, Papua. A mining area was first discovered and exploited by Freeport since 1967. Then, Freeport also found a new location which was later known as Grassberg.

A large mining complex that has a pile of gold, silver, and large copper. Freeport's potential profit at that time could reach 1.8 billion US dollars per year. James emphasized that his mine would bring goodness to the people of Papua and Indonesia, especially local indigenous tribes.

The Indonesian government is lulled. The exploitation permit was not disturbed, even added. Everything because Freeport has become the largest taxpayer in Indonesia during the New Order era. Freeport is also predicted to open up many job opportunities. Even though the narrative became a criticism material because it was full of problems.

However, even more sparkling for Freeport itself. Just a few years after producing, in 1973, Freeport managed to pocket a net profit of 60 million US dollars from the copper it mined.

And fortunately for Freeport, in 1988, which was 18 years before its mining lease was over, the company found Grassberg - a 60 billion US dollar gold, silver and copper hoard - not far from its original mining site. And bring in a fortune of about USD 1.8 billion for the company annually, "the Tempo Magazine report said in a Tempo Magazine report entitledFreeport: Blessings and Curses (1999).

The indigenous people consider Freeport's kindness to only touch a handful of people. The majority of the profits are enjoyed by officials and politicians. The local community considers Freeport's presence to have brought a lot of harm, rather than benefits.

The threat of environmental damage experienced by indigenous Papuans, such as the Amungme tribe, is quite large. Disposal of tailing (limbah) that carelessly goes to the Ajkwa River and Lake Wanagon brings disaster. The source of their lives is destroyed, from food sources to work.

Environmental observer Yani Sagaroa also spoke up. He considers the environmental impact of Freeport mining activities very spectacular. The image is not only present in Indonesia, but throughout the world.

Exploitation of mining is carried out massively. This condition makes Freeport's destructive power no joke. The poverty process that occurs due to extraordinary mining. The tailing business that is thrown away reaches 40 million tons per year without playing with the damaged power.

The former National Council for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) from the 2008-2012 era considered Freeport to be seen as a destroyer by local indigenous peoples. Food is deteriorating. Great poverty. Not to mention the level of public health is also bad.

On the other hand, mining workers' recruitment seems discriminatory. Most workers are imported from outside Papua, even outside Indonesia. This condition makes the lives of local residents fall at their lowest point. They are like being forced to live in poverty.

This condition made Yani reiterated that there was never a story that people around the mine could prosper. He emphasized that mining in Indonesia while designed only to make profit investors and the people become victims.

In particular, when talking about Freeport. The story that can be summarized from the dynamics of Freeport mining is a big legacy of environmental damage and the elimination of indigenous peoples.

People around the Freeport mining area remain in a poor living situation. Of course there are many people who refuse to give up on the situation. They continue to fight, one of which is the Amungme tribe, I know the struggle of Mama Yosefa Alolung. A tragedy struggle that was carried out by friends in Papua.

There is also the struggle of Tom Beanal and others. That's a glimpse of the conflict that occurred. Even after share ownership, some of it began to be taken by Indonesia, conditions did not change much. The Amungme tribe recently had access to land concessions. However, it is not worth the natural resources that are so devastating to be taken from the earth of Papua," said Yani Sagaroa when contacted by VOI, September 8, 2025.