Villagers end blockade of Arutmin road

The people of the Sepapah Village, in Kotabaru district, South Kalimantan, agreed on Friday to end the week-long road blockade linking toward coal mining firm PT Arutmin Indonesia, the local Banjarmasin Post daily reported.

The paper said that the agreement was reached in a negotiation talks facilitated by the local Police.

The paper said that the villagers, however, demanded the company to help improve their economic welfare.

Arutmin regional manager Yosef Setiawan said that the demand could be incorporated in the company's community development program.

The people had made the road blockade since last Wednesday in a bid to provide support to a village member demanding Arutmin to provide compensation for the land allegedly taken over by the company. The case is currently being processed by the local court.(*)