An Indonesian activist website reports eight people killed, hundreds wounded, ten arrested and many hiding after a police attack on protesters demonstrating against a locally working mainly Australian gold mining company. hidup biasa says the attack was on the occupation of Sape port by thousands of residents of Lambu district, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara, repressed and forcibly dispersed by police. The occupation, which had continued for five days, was by local people opposing the operations of PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara. The company is 95% owned by an Australian company called Arc Exploration, based in Chatswood, Sydney.
The forced dispersal started in the night and continued into the early morning of Friday the 24th of December.
“Information suggests that hundreds of people were wounded as a result of the clash, eight people are dead and ten people have been arrested by the police. Most of the people who were attacked ran away towards the mountain and many are still in hiding,” the website reports. At the time of its publication, mainstream media reported only three dead.
Sumber Mineral Nusantara’s mining concession in Bima covers some 250 km2, and the same company has another gold project in East Java and is also exploring in West Papua, in a partnership with Anglo American. It is only one of several companies facing mass community resistance in Bima, the other companies are mostly concerned with mining Iron sands from the coast.
Call for solidarity with Bima farmers
To everyone who has heard about how fed up the people of Bima are, and how tenaciously they reject mining. To everyone who has ears and has received the news of the brutal police attack that forced the people occupying the Sape port to disperse. To all hearts that still love to live free from domination of the state and capital. To all rebels that are hiding in the darkness. The people of Lambu, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara have shown us an action without compromise, of how they refuse to let their land and livelihood be swapped for mining machinery and dreams of gold. A brave attitude that is not only shown in writings, but has now blossomed and overflowed as a tempest of anger at the sea's edge, in Sape port. Now that bravery has been attacked by the henchmen of those who hold the power and money. They have done this brutally, as is their habit.
We extend our deepest condolences for those that have fallen in the struggle.
A website in the Indonesian language chronicling the popular struggle against mining companies in Bima can be accessed here
Addresses:
Arc Exploration, Suite 1502, Level 15, Tower B, 799 Pacific Highway, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067, Australia, Telephone : +61 2 9419 8044, Facsimile : +61 2 9419 8099, Email: management@arcexploration.com.au
PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara, Komp. Ruko Bidex Block F No. 05, BSD City - Tangerang, 15321, Indonesia, Telephone : +62 21 5316 – 0118, Facsimile : +62 21 5316 - 0119
Managing Director: John Carlile, Company Secretary: Andrew Cooke
