Residents close Kuang Ye's mining site in Kalimantan

PT Kuang Ye Indo International Mining Development halted the operation of the company's iron ore mine in Pelaihari district, Sumber Mulya village on Friday after hundreds of residents forced their way into the mining site to protest the company's operation, Banjarmasin Post reported on Saturday.

The daily said that the villagers forced the company to stop its operation after the management did not listen to their request to repair the roads and other infrastructure facilities allegedly damaged by the company.

Besides damaging the roads, the villagers also accused the mining company of damaging irrigation facilities for their rice fields as well as to cause pollution.

The residents later agreed to talk to the company's management to settle the dispute but the villagers said that they would continue to close the mining site until the management met their requests. (*)