Seven people arrested for illegally occupying Newmont mining area
Monday, October 30 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
At least people have been arrested for illegally occupying the gold mining site of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya in Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi, local daily Manado Pos reported on Monday.
The daily said that the police arrested the seven men on Saturday and seized sharpened weapons from them.
The police said that the men, believed to be the leaders of a group of people who illegally entered the mining operation on Friday, were arrested because their actions had disturbed the operation of the United States-based mining operator.
Newmont said on Friday that it had been forced to close mine operation for the fourth times this year due to continuing disputes with a handful of ex-land owners. The company said that at least 15 people entered the mining operation on early Friday as the protests to demand a fair compensation for their land acquired by the company several years ago.
Richard Ness, the president of the mining company said that based on the company's extensive review on thousands of pages of documents, there had been no evidence found on the company's wrong-doing or unfair treatment, price or conditions of sale.
Ness hailed the arrest of the seven people and expressed his gratitude to the local police's serious action against the protesters. He said that the company had resumed operations normally following the arrests.
Johannes Wardoyo, the chief of the Minahasa police, said that the police members were forced to arrest the people involved in the action after a number of persuasive approaches failed.
He hoped that the people who were still unsatisfied with the compensation for their land took legal action so that the court would determine who are in the right side. (*)