Pacific / West Papua

Gold mines in Papua using illegal workers: report

17:42 pm on 13 June 2018

Hundreds of Chinese nationals have reportedly been found working illegally in gold mines in Indonesia's Papua region.

The Jakarta Post reports an official at the Tembagapura Immigration Office stating they were found working for local gold mining companies in Nabire in Papua without proper work documents.

Local residents and tribal councils had reported Chinese citizens were being employed illegally at the mines and the authorities later carried out unannounced inspections.

The official is quoted saying no local residents were working at the companies and they felt cheated.