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ANDUNG: Hundreds of residents in Kertasari, Bandung regency, including environmental activists, staged a rally at the governor’s office on Thursday to demand that PT Chevron Geothermal Indonesia fix the environmental damage they had caused in the area.

They accused Chevron of felling hundreds of trees in the Kertasari natural conservation as part of its project to build four geothermal wells.

“As the residents living in and around the area, we have been told to help preserve nature. Why does this American company, with a permit from the government, arbitrarily fell trees?” Panji Hasbi, one of the residents, said.

The protesters carried a poster that read, “Get Out of My Holy Land”.

They said they would file a class action if the government failed to enforce the law.