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Rights, indigenous groups condemn death of Central Sulawesi mining protester
Civil rights and indigenous groups have condemned the police use of force against protesters of a mining operation in Parigi Moutong regency, Central Sulawesi, that led to the death of a protester early Sunday.
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Hundreds of police personnel attempt to push back protesters during a rally in Manado, North Sulawesi, in May 2017. (Kompas.com/Ronny Adolof Buol)
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ivil rights and indigenous groups have condemned the police use of force against protesters of a mining operation in Parigi Moutong regency, Central Sulawesi, that led to the death of a protester early Sunday. They urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation to find and reprimand the culprit.
Hundreds of residents of Toribulu district and South Tinombo district of Parigi Moutong regency staged a protest from Saturday noon until past midnight against planned mining operations by PT Trio Kencana near their areas. During the rally, they blockaded the trans-Sulawesi highway, which connects Central Sulawesi with Gorontalo province.
Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Central Sulawesi chapter director Sunardi Katili said police tried to disperse the protestors with tear gas, detaining around 60 of them.
However, a protester identified as Erfaldi, a 21-year-old college student from Tada village, South Tinombo, Parigi Moutong, was found with a gunshot wound and died after he was taken to a local hospital.
Walhi recorded that residents had protested against the company since 2010 when the Central Sulawesi provincial administration issued a mining business license (IUP) for the operation. In August 2020, the company received a production permit that covered 15,725 hectares in Parigi Moutong from the local Mining and Natural Resources Agency.
Recently, the residents held public protests against the company in December, January and also in early February demanding that the Central Sulawesi governor revoke PT Trio Kencana’s mining permits as residents had found at least three mining holes within their plantation areas.
Walhi recorded that as many as 182 residents had been victims of police violence while protecting their environment since last year in Indonesia.
