PT KEM forced to negotiate with angry residents

Hundreds of angry villagers living near the mining area of PT KEM in West Kutai, East Kalimantan, took the regent's deputy Valentinus Tingang as hostage to force the gold miner to negotiate a compensation demand, the local Kaltim Post daily reported on Wednesday.

The villagers who claimed themselves as the victims of PT KEM's operation later release the regent's deputy after the local police brought some members of the gold mining company's management to the negotiation table.

At least 200 villagers from several villages near the company's mining area have taken sit-in protests in front of the regent's office since Thursday to demand compensation from the mining company.

The regent's deputy who promised to help negotiate the compensation demand with the company's management, however, failed show up as scheduled. This angered the villagers and then seized the deputy's regent when he arrived at his office.

The villagers demanded compensation of between Rp 17 million each for the loss of business opportunities due to the operation of the company, which is now preparing the closure of the mining site after more than 20 years of operation. (*)