Local residents stage demo against Caltex

Dozens of residents in Bangko Jaya, Rimba Melintang ditstirct, in Riau?s Rokan Hilir regency staged a demonstration against oil giant PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) on Monday, Riau Post reported on Tuesday.

The residents accused the company of causing damages in their housing and farm area. "Our houses cracked, while our farming land was polluted by industrial waste," one of the residents said.

The villagers demanded the company to pay a compensation for the damages either on their houses or on their farming areas.

There was no reaction made by the Caltex management but the chairman of the local agency for the supervision of environmental impact (Bapedalda), H. Subroto acknowledged that the residents had reported the alleged environmental damages to his office.

"But we need a field study to ensure that the allegation is true," he was quoted as saying. (*)