THE numerous gold shops lined up on Jalan Bogenvile are devoid of customers. Only a few passers-by enter the kiosks near the Timika market. Ordinarily, many people come here to buy or sell gold. The gold collected by traditional prospectors near the giant Freeport copper and gold mine always ends up here.

Things are very quiet now, said Hapsah, a gold vendor at the Timika market, in Papua, who met with Tempo last week. She said that the clash bet