Antam urged to compensate Pomalaa landowners
Thursday, May 22 2003 - 03:06 AM WIB
Integrated nickel company PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) has been accused of failing to compensate Pomalaa villagers in Southeast Sulawesi?s Kolaka regency for the land it had acquired from them nearly 30 years ago, Koran Tempo daily reported Thursday.
Pomalaa villagers said since 1974 they had surrendered to Antam a combined 18 hectares of their land, and that they had not received any compensation from the company.
They had reported their case to Kolaka regency administration and regency council, but so far local authorities had taken no action to protect their rights, the villagers said.
The villagers said they might decide to occupy Antam?s project sites in Pomalaa if no party failed to give serious attention to their plight.
Publicly listed Antam operates a nickel mine and a nickel smelting plant in Pomalaa. (*)