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From: editorial@loombreaker.org.uk
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 17:31:34 -0000
Subject: November Loombreaker 32

Rio Tinto Actions

Anglesey Aluminium blockade report - 10th October 2002

Anglesey Aluminium on Holy Island, Anglesey, was blockaded for nearly six hours on October 10th by a group of 15 people making novel use of a clapped out mini van and a tripod. The action was in solidarity with the OPM - the Free West Papua Movement - and the people of West Papua as part of a week of action which has included the storming of the Indonesian Embassy earlier in the week.

The van, laden with two cement filled oil barrels was towed in at 8.30am before irrevocably and finally breaking down outside the main entrance to the aluminium smelting plant. Someone stuck their hand through a hole in the side panel and locked onto one of the barrels. The other barrel fell through a hole in the floor of the van, tyres deflated on account of their being slashed and another person stuck their arm in and clipped on. So that wasn't going anywhere for a while. A long tail back rapidly ensued.

Anglesey Aluminium are 51% owned by Rio Tinto Zinc, who are joint owners of Freeport Mine in West Papua - the world's second largest copper mine and the largest proven gold deposit worth $40 billion. Indonesia gains 20% royalties from the mine. The local Papuans receive no royalties yet their homeland is severely despoiled by the mining operation.

http://www.minesandcommunities.org/Aboutus/partizans.htm

In related actions the Indonesian embassy in London was forcefully entered on Wednesday 9 Oct in a protest against the country's continued occupation of West Papua. An estimated 100,000 West Papuans have been murdered by Indonesian forces since the Indonesian invasion and annexation of the territory in 1963.

New Tribes Mission protest

On the 11th October, more than fifty people met up to take direct action against the New Tribes Mission at their UK Headquarters in Grimsby. New Tribes Mission have stated that it is their intent to establish a missionary church within every tribe on the planet by 2025. The people of West Papua have declared missionaries one of the 4 biggest threats to indigenous tribes people. It is reported that essential information and equipment was removed from the New Tribes Mission offices.

http://www.eco-action.org/opm/

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