Lanna Harita disregards Council?s recommendation

Joint venture coal mining firm PT Lanna Harita Indonesia continues to carry out its mining activity in a 60 hectare plot of land in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, despite earlier recommendation from the Samarinda Council to temporarily cease mining operation in the area until dispute with local cooperatives has been settled, the local Metro Balikpapan daily reported Saturday.

The paper quoted local cooperatives head And Abduh as saying that this was a sign that Lanna Harita was defying the suggestion of the Council.

?This means that they (Lanna Harita) has no respect to the Council which has clearly asked for a temporary halt (of mining operation in the area) until the land status has been clarified,? he said.

Local cooperatives have also claimed legal control over the 60 ha plot of land.

Lanna Harita president Harbiansyah Hanafiah declined to provide explanation about the company?s stance in defying the Council?s recommendation.

?Please, for now I can?t comment because I have just arrived (from outside Samarinda) and has yet to study the latest development,? he told Metro Balikpapan by also showing an air ticket as if to give evidence that he had just arrived from a travel.

Lanna Harita Indonesia, which has concessions in the Kutai and Samarinda areas containing around 18 million tons of coal reserves, is 55 percent owned by Thailand?s Lanna Resources, 35 percent local Harita Group, and 10 percent Singapore?s Pan United.(*)