Hundreds of people rally to support illegal mining at Arutmin?s coal mine

Hundreds of people, including illegal miners and students, held a demonstration Monday at the Tanah Laut regency council in South Kalimantan to protest the tough measure taken by the local authorities and police against the illegal miners operating at the coal mine owned by PT Arutmin Indonesia

The about 500 protestors demanded the police to release the heavy equipment they had confiscated from the illegal miners.

They also asked the local authorities and council to take from Arutmin the area where the illegal miners had operated.

If the police and the local authorities refuse to meet their demands, the protestors warned, they would occupy Arutmin?s coal mine and take over the company?s heavy equipment.

?We are demanding certainty whether we can resume works tomorrow. Otherwise, we shall occupy Arutmin. The heavy equipment confiscated by the police (from the illegal miners) should be immediately returned (to the owners),? one of the protestors said.

Mawardi, a student, voiced supports for the illegal miners, calling on the regency council to come up with a solution in response to the police action to crack down on the illegal mining in the area.

The regency officials and councilors, who met with the protestors, said they could not make any decision to meet their demands because the regent, who has the right to make a decison on the matter, had yet to return from Jakarta.

The protestors then dispersed but promised to stage another protest at Arutmin?s operation site.

Arutmin is the subsidiary of Australian business group BHP Pty. (*)