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Police probe deadly clash at nickel smelter
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This handout photo taken on Jan. 16, 2023 and released by Morowali Police shows police taking up positions after two workers, including a Chinese national, were killed at a nickel-smelting plant in North Morowali, Sulawesi, after a riot broke out during a protest over labor conditions.
(Morolawi Police/Via AFP)
P
olice are investigating a protest over labor safety that turned violent at a nickel-smelting factory in Central Sulawesi’s North Morowali regency on Saturday, which left at least two workers dead, including a foreign national.
A number of video clips, appearing to show Chinese expatriates hitting Indonesian workers during the clash at PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI), went viral on Saturday night on social media prompting initial speculation that the expatriates may have been to blame for inciting the violence.
However, in a press briefing on Monday, National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that these video clips were posted out of context and were designed to incite Indonesian workers, as the clash actually stemmed from calls for workers to go on strike on Saturday.
“[Saturday’s clash] started with a call for a strike, which led to a debate [among the employees]. Then, there was an attempt to force [workers to go on strike], but this was met with opposition,” Listyo said. “And then the incitement [stemming from the video clips] of the expatriates hitting Indonesian workers went viral.”
Police are still looking deeper into the incident, Listyo added, saying that at least 71 people had been arrested so far, 17 of whom have been named as vandalism suspects.
Read also: Workers clash at Central Sulawesi nickel smelter, killing two
With the company set to resume operations on Tuesday morning, Listyo said that more reinforcements would be sent to GNI to aid the 548 police and military personnel already securing the plant.
