East Nusa Tenggara residents protest Merukh's gold mine

Villagers living in Leragere district in Lembata regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province have strongly protested PT Merukh Enterprises Cooper (MEC)'s gold mine, Kompas reported on Thursday.

The residents said that they opposed the company's gold mine operation because the 46,000-ha mining area given to the mining company included five villages with total population of more than 10,000 people.

They feared that the mining operation would not only cause environmental problem but also their farming activities. They also protested the mining operation because the mining site is located in the forest conservation area.

MEC, which obtained a license from the local government has begun its exploration activities. Based on survey in 2001, which was conducted by Japanese researcher, the amount of gold deposits in the area is believed to be larger than those found in the Cikotok gold mine in West Java . (*)