500 traditional miners cooperate with Timah

State owned tin mining company PT TImah has agreed to cooperate with Bangka Belitung's Association of Traditional Miners (Astira) to exploit tin ores in several areas of the company's concession in the province, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Saturday.

Astira's chairman Resno Hartanto said as a result of the cooperation agreement,  500 members of the association would be allowed to use heavy equipment, such as excavators, in their activities. They will deliver their tin ore to Timah.

The association thus expected the police to stop harrassing them in their operation.

The police has often staged raids on the association's members and confisicated their equpment and tin ore on charges their operation is illegal, Resno said. Traditional miners are allowed to operate in the province but under the local regulation,  they are barred from using heavy equipment.

Timah's spokesman Abrun Abubakar confirmed that Timah had handed over tens of areas of its concession for the province's traditional miners to exploit. (*)