TEMPO.CO, Tembagapura - PT Freeport Indonesia has its own way to celebrate the 70th Indonesia’s Independence Day. The mining company will hold two ceremonies in its mining locations in Tembagapura, Papua.

“One of the them will be held in our underground mining location,” said PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsuddin on Sunday.

The flag ceremony in the underground area will begin at 10:00 am. Employees of Freeport gather at Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) which is located 1.4 kilometers below ground level. In order to reach that mining area, the employees and the ceremony participants must go through a 7.5-kilometers tunnel that was built through a mountain.

DMLZ mining is one of the world’s largest underground mining. Besides DMLZ< Freeport also has other underground mining, such as Grasberg Block Cave, Kucing Liar and Big Gossan. Mineral reserves in those underground mining are estimated to reach 2.3 billion tons.

Every day, there are at least thousands of people working in the underground mining. Therefore, facilities for underground workers are not inferior to those on the surface. There are buffet, clinic, mosque, church and emergency room that can accommodate up to 300 workers with food stocks that are enough to survive for three days if there are risks of mine workings.

“So, it’s not fair if the ceremony is only held above ground, while the people underground cannot participate,” said Maroef.

GUSTIDA BUDIARTIE