Protest at Vico turns violent
Pertamina may shut down LNG Badak
Saturday, August 12 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
The protest made by some employees of the sub contractor of oil and gas company Vico in Muara Badak, East Kalimantan, turned ugly on Friday causing three protesters injured by bullets and one security officer also injured during a clash with the protesters, the local Kaltim Post daily reported.
The paper said that the three injured protesters identified as Agus, Nurdin and Lancah had been shot in their legs by the security officers.
The local Bontang police chief Superintendent Sudjarno confirmed the shooting, but he said that the policemen were only using rubber bullet.
Sudjarno said that the Police had to take the strong measure because the protesting employees had started to move to the vital area of the oil and gas company. He said that the police had to open fire because the protesters made a fight when the police tried to prevent them from entering vital facility.
Kaltim Post said that the protesting employees were equipped with sharp weapons.
The employees, grouped in the SBSI labor union, had been protesting for 10 days demanding a raise in the salary. The protesters blockaded the main gate of Vico.
Kaltim Post said that the protesters were also intimidating the employees of Vico including calling them to join the protest. The paper said that there was an incident on Friday where the protesters managed to take two Vico employees as hostage. It is not clear whether the hostage has released.
Vico manager for external relations Syaiful Rahman said that the protest should be directed to the sub contractor not to Vico.
Syaiful said that the real intention of the protesters might be the closing down of Vico production.
LNG Badak
Meanwhile, spokesman of the foreign oil and gas contractors development body (BPPKA) of the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina Sidick Nitikusuma said that Pertamina might have to close down the operation of the LNG Badak refinery if situation at Vico turned worse.
"There's a concern that if the situation turns to be uncertain, we may be force to take a shut down measure. This is for safety. But Pertamina still hope that the Police could overcome the situation without any victim," Sidick said.
He said that some 2.0 BCF (billion cubic feet) of gas were channeled daily into the Badak refinery. (*)