ID :
16558
Thu, 08/21/2008 - 15:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16558
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THOUSANDS OF WORKERS DEMAND LIFTING OF BAN ON KPC OPERATIONS
Samarinda, Aug 21 (ANTARA) - Thousands of workers and employees of coal mining company PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) have been "besieging" the East Kutai district administration's office since Wednesday to demand the lifting of a local authorities' ban on KPC's mining operations.
The number of demonstrators continued to rise on Thursday but the rally remained orderly and peaceful. The crowd from time to time only voiced their demand through speeches and yells. During intervals , some of them made music with their own instruments.
"So far, the demonstration has remained peaceful although the noise it produces does bother us who work at the district administration office," Adi Zakaira, a public relations official at the office, said on Thursday.
Another group of KPC workers and employees were demonstrating outside the East Kutai District Legislative Council located in the Bukit Pelangi office complex. Tens of policemen were also seen on guard at the location of the rally.
The KPC workers and employees staged the rallies following the temporary cessation of the company's activities by a recent order from East Kutai Deputy District Chief Isran Noor in the absence of District Chief Awang Farouk Ishak who was on leave.
The temporary closure order was also issued to two companies serving as contractors to KPC, namely PT KPV and PT Perkasa Inaka Kerta (PIK). Deputy District Chief Isran Noor had issued the temporary closure order on the ground that the companies were illegally operating on state-owned forest land.
Irsan's action had been disavowed and criticized by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Jakarta. But Irsan had defended the measure he had taken.
He said "the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is wrong in its perception that the district administration has exceeded its authority. We stopped KPC's operations for having violated Law No 41/1999 on forestry."According to Isran, PT KPC was suspected of having cleared state-owned land illegally. The company's Belawan Pit and Pelikan Pit were situated on land which was once part of a forest concession of PT Porodisa Trading & Industries but Porodisa's concession rights expired last July 16, 2008 while a process to get those concession rights extended was still underway.
Administratively, before clearing forest land, mining companies must obtain a timber utility permit (IPK), a land clearing permit (IPL) and a heavy equipment mobilization permit from the district administration.
Isran said he had only issued a letter requesting KPC to stop its mining activity in Bengalon but this request was not heeded by KPC. Then, last Friday, the district forestry representative office closed KPC's coal transporation route because the company lacked the needed permit.
On the same day, the East Kalimantan police instructed KPC to stop its mining activity at its Belawan and Pelikan sites, and confiscated about 300 units of heavy-duty equipments.
Meanwhile, the stoppage in KPC's mining activity on 10,000 hectares of land had caused thousands of the company's workers and employees to become jobless.
The number of demonstrators continued to rise on Thursday but the rally remained orderly and peaceful. The crowd from time to time only voiced their demand through speeches and yells. During intervals , some of them made music with their own instruments.
"So far, the demonstration has remained peaceful although the noise it produces does bother us who work at the district administration office," Adi Zakaira, a public relations official at the office, said on Thursday.
Another group of KPC workers and employees were demonstrating outside the East Kutai District Legislative Council located in the Bukit Pelangi office complex. Tens of policemen were also seen on guard at the location of the rally.
The KPC workers and employees staged the rallies following the temporary cessation of the company's activities by a recent order from East Kutai Deputy District Chief Isran Noor in the absence of District Chief Awang Farouk Ishak who was on leave.
The temporary closure order was also issued to two companies serving as contractors to KPC, namely PT KPV and PT Perkasa Inaka Kerta (PIK). Deputy District Chief Isran Noor had issued the temporary closure order on the ground that the companies were illegally operating on state-owned forest land.
Irsan's action had been disavowed and criticized by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Jakarta. But Irsan had defended the measure he had taken.
He said "the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is wrong in its perception that the district administration has exceeded its authority. We stopped KPC's operations for having violated Law No 41/1999 on forestry."According to Isran, PT KPC was suspected of having cleared state-owned land illegally. The company's Belawan Pit and Pelikan Pit were situated on land which was once part of a forest concession of PT Porodisa Trading & Industries but Porodisa's concession rights expired last July 16, 2008 while a process to get those concession rights extended was still underway.
Administratively, before clearing forest land, mining companies must obtain a timber utility permit (IPK), a land clearing permit (IPL) and a heavy equipment mobilization permit from the district administration.
Isran said he had only issued a letter requesting KPC to stop its mining activity in Bengalon but this request was not heeded by KPC. Then, last Friday, the district forestry representative office closed KPC's coal transporation route because the company lacked the needed permit.
On the same day, the East Kalimantan police instructed KPC to stop its mining activity at its Belawan and Pelikan sites, and confiscated about 300 units of heavy-duty equipments.
Meanwhile, the stoppage in KPC's mining activity on 10,000 hectares of land had caused thousands of the company's workers and employees to become jobless.
