Involving the Public - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 138

Private sector political risk insurance providers are useful in these conditions, but are lim-
ited in the amount of risk that they will underwrite.

Police and Military - A Fact of Life

In some countries, it is common to i nd anti-government insurgents and/or high levels of
lawlessness. The Philippines, for example, is host to various rebel groups, while in Papua
New Guinea and the Solomon Islands there is widespread small and medium scale vio-
lence. In these and many other countries, it would be impossible for a mining project to be
developed and operated without the presence of a security force to protect life and prop-
erty. Depending on the situation the security force may be private or it may be provided by
the host government.
Unfortunately, security forces associated with mining projects have been involved in
incidents which have rel ected poorly on the mine operator despite the fact that, in most
cases, the mining company was not directly involved and could not have prevented the
incidents. Relations between the company and the community have been damaged in
some of these cases, while in other cases relations between the company and host govern-
ment have suffered.
National police and military frequently play a major role in the political and social
structure of developing countries. Both often possess near monopoly of force, and they
may propose or impose military assistance on the mine operator, usually i nanced by the
project ( Case 3.5 ). Police or military detachments may be assigned by the host government
with or without any request from the project operators. Dealing with these security forces
involves a delicate balance between up-holding human rights while acknowledging and
respecting the dominant role of these security forces in the host country.

National police and military
possess near monopoly of force,
and they may propose or impose
military assistance on the mine
operator, usually fi nanced by the
project.

CASE 3.5
Mining, Police and Military

'Freeport is contributing to the suffering in
West Papua because it funds the Indonesian
government and military', a West Papuan refugee
told a mining meeting in 2006. 'You can't
separate what the mine is doing from the
political situation in West Papua. It is directly
linked to the human rights problems.'
( www.mpi.org.au )
'In August 1997, a farming village of 45 houses,
Nkwatakrom, near Tarkwa was completely demol-
ished by some policemen and a group of thugs
allegedly hired by the Ghana Australia Goldfi elds
Limited, now a subsidiary of AGC.' (Speaker at
a seminar on Human Rights Violations in the
Extractive Sector, Nigeria, November 2000, www.
rainforest.org.au )

Mining companies may become caught in
the middle of confl icts between national security
forces and local rebel or opposition groups. The
problem is exacerbated if company equipment is
commandeered by the security forces. Companies
also often face another all too familiar dilemma.
Government authorities, military, and police offer
their services to provide security to the mine
(expecting, of course, to be compensated). The
government will argue, quite correctly, that it is
their right and imperative to protect national
assets and to provide security and stability. Mining
companies on the other hand recognize that
community based security (or a 'social fence')
will prevent the development of security issues,
and that prevention is better than cure.