REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TIMIKA -- The Second Class Immigration Office of Tembagapura, Timika, Papua, pointed out that hundreds of Chinese citizens were currently working in gold mining companies in Nabire District without reporting it to related institutions. Head of the Tembagapura Immigration Office Jesaja Samuel Enock stated here on Monday that allegations of illegal Chinese involvement in gold mining companies in Nabire District were known based on reports from the local community, especially local customary councils.
"Hundreds of Chinese people are working illegally in Nabire. This has been going on since long without any supervision," he noted.
Enock led a foreign control team of the Tembagapura Immigration Office comprising five personnel, who paid a visit to four gold mining sites in Nabire District since Friday (June 8) and found several Chinese people working at that location.
The site is located within the jungle area of Papua in Nabire District, which is the border between Lagari and a waterfall.
"We have received a report from the local residents that there are more than 10 gold mining sites in Nabire that employ Chinese people. However, until now, we could only reach four gold mining sites," he revealed.
Some 13 out of one hundred Chinese people have been taken to Timika from Nabire aboard Garuda Indonesia flights on Sunday afternoon (June 10).
He further explained that Chinese illegal workers employed at the four gold mining sites in Nabire District had fled to the forests when the Tembagapura immigration law enforcement team visited their work sites on Friday (June 8) and Saturday (June 9).
"The control operation that we did was covert, and we did not use the help of another party. I conducted it along with five staff members," he explained.
A total of 13 Chinese people, who have been evacuated, are currently being temporarily detained in the Tembagapura Immigration detention room, pending further investigation, as they are still waiting for their guarantor to submit their immigration documents.
During the initial inspection at the gold mining site in Nabire, the migrant workers from China failed to present the immigration documents to the officers.
When the officer conducted law enforcement, several Chinese people resisted the move or did not want to be taken into custody. They insisted to be brought to nearest police station.
"But we continue to stand firm that they had violated the criminal immigration procedures and are not just general criminals," he stated.
Furthermore, the local people and Nabire customary council were helpful in bringing to light the fact that a hundred Chinese were suspected of being illegal workers in gold mines in Papua. According to Enock, the local residents feel like they had been cheated by the company, as all mining activities are conducted by Chinese.
"They expect that the local labor would be involved in the production process," he added.
On the other hand, Enock stated that the gold mining activities at several locations in Nabire District were harming the local environmental ecosystem and forest area. However, he said the matter was not under his authority. "Our focus is only illegal workers issue," he remarked.
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