Occupiers of IMK's contract area braced for bloody war
Saturday, April 8 2000 - 05:30 AM WIB
The villagers who have been illegally occupying the contract area of gold mining company PT Indo Muro Kencana in Lawit area in Central Kalimantan would resist all efforts of the local authorities to stop their occupation at all costs.
Asikin, coordinator of the Mining Network (Jatam) non-governmental organization, said hundreds of villagers who have been occupying and mining the company's contract area would not leave the area by the deadline of April 15 set by the governor.
Asikin made the statement on Friday during a meeting with governor Asmawi Agani.
The governor had given the villagers until April 15 to leave the gold mine. Otherwise, the local authorities will use force to eject them from the area.
Executive director of the provincial chapter of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) Nurdin, who accompanied Asikin in the meeting with the governor, warned of bloodshed if the local authorities pushed ahead with their plans to eject the villagers from the gold mine.
Thousands of villagers have been occupying IMK's gold mine in several areas, including Lawit, Betment, Halubai, Permata, for about one year, claiming the land belonged to their ancestors and the company had not yet fully paid compensation for the land.
IMK is a subsidiary of Australia's Aurora Gold. (*)