Illegal miners damage S. Kalimantan?s regent building

An angry mob on Tuesday stoned the office building of the Kapuas Hulu regent in West Kalimantan to protest the local administration?s policy of banning illegal gold mining in the area, Kompas daily reported Wednesday.

The protesters, around 500 in number, took the action after being told by officials from the regent office to return to the regency council to air their grievances. Actually, they had just left the council compound where councilors had asked them to report their case to the regent, the paper said.

They stopped damaging the regent office building after police officers dispersed them.

The paper however did not say how far the regent office building hade been damaged.

Illegal mining is rampant in South Kalimantan. (*)