KEM faces deadlock over land dispute negotiation
Thursday, May 25 2000 - 03:15 AM WIB
Gold mining company PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM) is reportedly to have face a snag in its negotiation with the local villagers over a land dispute.
The Balikpapan-based Suara Kaltim daily said that KEM declined to proceed with the Monday negotiation talks because of the absence of the West Kutai regency officials.
The paper said that the West Kutai regent seemed to have been offended by the local protesting villagers who had earlier lambasted the regent for their deep involvement in the negotiation process.
"The villagers did ask the West Kutai regent Rama Asia not to play a mediator role any longer. May be is angry with this," said Arbianto Amin, head of the local Walhi office, a prominent environmental watchdog.
The local villagers had blockade the only road to the KEM mining site. The protesters are demanding a compensation for their land acquired by the company.
KEM had been in negotiation with the local villagers for weeks now. A team is now still in the process of verifying some 6,000 claims. (*)