Newmont?s operation halted due to blockade

Gold and copper mining firm PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, a subsidiary of US-based Newmont Mining Corp, was forced to stop its mining operation for about six hours Tuesday due to mine blockade by villagers from Sekongkang District, in West Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Media Indonesia reported.

?The blockade has prevented workers from entering the work area and night-shift workers from going home,? said PT Newmont spokesman Ruslan Ahmad.

He added the management had approached the protesting villagers. ?We hope there will be no more similar actions (in the future), because disturbance to mining operation would affect the fate of 6,000 workers,? he said. The report did not say why the villagers launched the mine blockade. (*)