Villagers occupy KPC mining sites
Tuesday, October 3 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Some 100 villagers have occupied the Pit A and B mining sites of coal giant mining company PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) in East Kalimantan since Sunday.
The local Jaya Post daily reported that the villagers were protesting because the company had not yet paid the compensation for the land acquired in the past.
The paper quoted a protesting villager as saying that they would continue the occupation until KPC pay the land compensation.
The protesting villagers also controlled some 60 units of KPC heavy equipment.
The paper said that KPC decided to halt mining operation when the villagers entered the Pit A and B sites to avoid fatal incident.
KPC was hit by a similar blockade few months ago by protesting employees, which had caused serious disruption to the company's coal operation and received national and international attention. (*)