URGENT: 15 coal barges blocked in Barito river

By Adianto P. Simamora

Over 1,000 people were down on boats in Barito river in South Kalimantan to run blockage on the river, preventing at least 15 barges from transporting coal via the river as of Saturday.

Barito river is the main hauling facility to transport coal to transhipment point in the biggest thermal coal producing region of the country, South Kalimantan.

?We are running blockage to coal barges. At least 15 units of the barges are forced to dock some 2 miles before the Barito bridge,? coordinator of Forum Peduli Banua (FPB) Berry Nahdian Forgan told Petromindo.com.

The forum, consisting of activists, university students and local people, run the protest under the Barito bridge, against the government's recent policy on subsidized fuel quota for the provinces of Kalimantan.

Editing by David Mustakim