Residents end blockade at Kuang Ye?s mine in Kalimantan

Residents in the Sumber Mulya village in the district of Pelaihari, Central Kalimantan, have finally ended a blockade at PT Kuang Ye Indo International Mining Development?s iron ore mining site near their residential place, Banjarmasin Pos reported on Monday.

Made Lutra, one of the village leaders, said that the blockade was ended after the management of Kuang Ye agreed to repair the roads and irrigation infrastructure that had been seriously damaged by the company.

Residents of the Sumber Mulya village began the blockade on Friday last week to protest the company?s refusal to repair the road and irrigation infrastructure as well as to reduce the pollution.

In the meeting, the company?s legal manager Putu Kastu denied the allegation, saying that the company had paid a total of Rp 40 million to the village chief for the road repair works and another amount of money to reduce the pollution.

Made said the company had actually provided funds needed to repair the damaged roads but the money was kept by the village head. ?The problem occurs because the head of the village is not transparent about the funding,? he added. (*)