Again, villagers in Riau seize Caltex contractor?s vehicles

At least 30 people living in the 33rd kilometer section of the Minas main road, Riau seized on Friday two trucks owned by the contractor of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) as a protest against the contractor PT AWL?s reluctance to hire the locals, Riau Pos reported on Saturday.

The protesting residents seized the two vehicles at 10.30 in the morning after the contractor?s management refused to meet them. They also blocked the Minas road until the local police stepped in and asked the protesters to negotiate with the contractor in the police?s office later in the day.

Jemmy, an executive of the contractor, said that the protest was stemmed from misunderstanding in the part of the residents, who agreed to release the vehicles and removed the blockade later in the evening after the contractor agreed to hire two local residents.

The protest was the third carried by villagers against the company this week. The residents in Bonai, Kunto Darussalam district, Rokan Hulu regency early in the week blocked the access road leading to Caltex oil wells after Caltex failed to meet its promise to asphalt the road passing through their village.

The other one was the protest conducted by villagers in Pematang village, Mandau district, who took control of Calex oil rigs in the area after the oil giant?s contractor PT DTE refused to employ local people.

meanwhile, Riau Pos also reported on Saturday that about 300 residents from the Bonai village went to the provincial legislative council (DPRD) to deliver their complain after the negotiation made by the villagers and the contractor following the blockade of the dusty road failed to produce any results.

The residents said that Caltex failed to fulfill its promise to asphalt the road, which had caused heavy pollution in their residential area. The oil company refused to asphalt the road because it said the road was mostly used trucks carrying illegal logs. (*)