NGOs threaten to take Americans working at Newmont as hostages

Peduli Sumbawa or Care Sumbawa foundation, an umbrella of at least 52 non-government organizations in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province has threatened to take American citizens working at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) as hostages, if the U.S. government continued its political pressure on Indonesia.

"We are serious in this case. Tom Enos, the president of the company could become the first to be taken as hostage," the foundation's chairman Burhanuddin told Media Indonesia in Mataram on Monday.

According to him the 53 NGOs under the Peduli Sumbawa organization would be used as locomotives to mobilize the people against the U.S. threat. The American government's threat to impose an economic embargo if Indonesian could settle the problem with the pro-Jakarta militias was a bad political trick, he said.

"Although Indonesia in the center of the crisis, the threat will not be able to make us to surrender to the Americans," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Burhanuddin said that all the NGOs under his organization were preparing actions which would be directed to blockade and bar all the ships that would transport copper and gold from the mining company. He also said that the 52 NGOs would be also used to mobilize the people to occupy Newmont's gold and copper mining.

He also demanded the government to review the contract of works given to Newmont. The contract which was issued during the Soeharto era should be debated in the public so that the people would know in a transparent way whether it benefited the people or just the American company, he added. (*)