Five injured in gold mining protest

Five people were injured during the protests over a gold mining plan in Balaesang Tanjung, Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi on Wednesday, The Jakarta Post reported.

Residents have staged rallies in the last few days in an effort to reject the gold mining plan, carried out by PT Cahaya Manunggal Abadi (CMA), saying that the mining activities might threaten plantation areas.

?Residents were gathering [in Kamonji village] to stage a protest when police suddenly appeared and started to shoot at them. The residents tried to counter the sudden attack,? said M Nurdin, an activist from an organization called the Anti Balaesang Tanjung Mining People.

Police officers were deployed to suppress the protest, while the residents used stones and traditional weapons. Five protesters were reportedly shot and wounded during the incident.

A resident, named Sandra, was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition after she was shot in the chest. (*)