Govt won't intervene in Newmont dispute with ex-land owners
Saturday, July 1 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
The central government will not directly intervene in the land dispute between gold mining firm PT Newmonth Minahasa Raya (NMR) and ex-land owners, according to director general of mining Surna T. Djajadiningrat.
"The problem faced by NMR is purely company problem. So the central government doesn't have to intervene directly in resolving the problem," Surna was quoted by the Neraca daily.
"The problem of land compensation is a matter between the company and the land owners, it has nothing to do with the central government. If the government should be involved, I think it should be the provincial administration because they have better knowledge," he added.
The former land owners of land which has now become part of NMR's mining sites has staged a protest for a week now demanding the company to pay more because the payment made in 1989-1994 was very low.
NMR had to evacuate its staffs and stop production because the protesters had been making threats. (*)