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After protests, PT Fathi Resources halts work

PT Fathi Resources says it will halt exploration at a mining site in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) until it gets a safety guarantee, following protests from local residents

Yemris Fointuna (The Jakarta Post)
Kupang
Tue, April 12, 2011

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After protests, PT Fathi Resources halts work

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T Fathi Resources says it will halt exploration at a mining site in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) until it gets a safety guarantee, following protests from local residents.

The decision was taken to prevent further possible anarchic action by local residents near the site in Umbu Ratu Nggay district, Central Sumba regency, according to the company.

Residents of Praikarokujang village recently attacked and set fire to heavy machinery used by the company to drill and to detect gold deposits.

Fathi Resources managing director Ahmad Chandra said over the telephone on Sunday that the company would not take legal action against the alleged arsonists and would leave further investigation to the police.

“We will not take legal action despite the fact that we have incurred billions of rupiah in damage. Exploratory work will resume when the local administration has given us a safety guarantee,” Ahmad said.

According to Ahmad, Fathi Resources had not seized the site, located within the Manupeu Tana Daru National Park, as alleged by protesters.

Fathi Resources had been given permits from the local administration and Forestry Ministry for exploration, according to Ahmad.

“We have carried out exploration and surveys based on the map,” he said.

Ahmad said he hoped the government and the national park authorities could meet and come to terms so as to prevent further disruption.

Central Sumba community leaders from Praikaroku Jangga village, Umbu Janji, Umbu Mehang and Umbu Pindingara filed reports with the police alleging that PT Fathi Resources had seized the land of residents for exploration.

“The community figures reported the matter to the regency police on April 9,” Felipus Yanggu, an activist from the Central Sumba Environmental Awareness Forum, said.

According to Felipus, the community leaders allege that Fathi Resources has been conducting exploratory activity since March without giving the community prior notice.

“On March 31, PT Fathi Resources brought in heavy machinery to explore the site without the prior approval of the local community,” Felipus said.

According to Felipus, Fathi Resources allegedly surreptitiously brought in its machinery after residents attempted to stop the company from exploring the site.

“We did not resort to anarchy, or set fire to the machinery owned by PT Fathi Resources,” Felipus said.

Hundreds of Praikarokujang residents, armed with edged weapons and stones, allegedly attacked Fathi Resources employees carrying out exploration work in the area on April 8, after the company and local administration failed to heed their calls against exploration.

PT Fathi Resources obtained a six-year gold exploration permit for Sumba from the NTT provincial administration.

The company’s surveys have been underway since the end of 2009.

Several mine sites were reportedly located within the national park while others were on private property, leading local residents to rally against the company’s exploration activities.

The Manupeu Tana Daru National Park, covering 87,894.09 hectares, was designated as a national park based on joint Agriculture and Forestry Ministerial decree No. 576, dated Aug. 3, 1998.

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