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group of eight villagers representing 66 families from Central Halmahera, North Maluku, aired strong protests on Thursday against foreign mining company PT Weda Bay Nickel (PT WBN), which they accused of having confiscated 800 hectares of land through mining activities.

Herenemus Takuling, a villager, said villagers could no longer work on their farm land since the company had conducted exploration and constructed mining facilities and infrastructure following the so-called confiscation of the land in 2009. “The company has illegally used around 300 hectares of land in the village without any agreement, bargaining or compensation with land owners,” he said.

He added that land owners were powerless to face the company because the confiscation was supported by the local administration, police and military.

Afrida Burnama, another villager, said she’d had some 10,000 square meters taken by the company and no longer had land to farm to support her nine children. “I’m not afraid of armed security personnel being deployed to maintain security and order in the mining compound,” she said, adding that in independence era, the police and the military had taken over the colonial government’s role of intimidating local people.

She said she would resist the company’s hegemony and bring the case to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the House of Representatives to seek justice.

Constantein Manikome, chief of the Gemaf village, said PT WBN had acquired by force a total of 500 hectares in the village, with the regent deploying hundreds of police and military personnel “to persuade” villagers to accept Rp 8,000 (87 US cents) per meter as compensation for their land.

He explained that the eight villagers were part of the 66 families who rejected the company’s offer because it was completely unfair. “The company will gain billions of dollars in annual profits from the business while villagers will be left to watch because the compensation will not support them.”

He said villagers had demanded the company to pay Rp 50,000 per square meter of land and stop the exploration until the compensation was paid directly to land owners.

Meanwhile, PT WBN spokeswoman Yasmin Sagita denied the confiscation of the land, saying that the management had involved all stakeholders, including the local community, in handling problems connected with the company’s operations in the field.

She said that her company had made all the requirements needed for the land compensation process in compliance with the laws and regulations in Indonesia, and in coordination with the local agrarian agency.

“The negotiation process in Lelief Sawai village has been carried out directly between PT WBN and the community, without any pressure from any institution. The compensation has been paid directly to the claimants and 90% of the land claimants have accepted the company’s offer and have already been compensated,” she said.