Banjarbaru Residents Rally Diamond Miners Company

By Yose Rizal

Banjarbaru , South Kalimantan ( Antaranews ) - Dozens of residents of four villages in the subdistrict of Cempaka, Banjarbaru City, rally PT Galuh Cempaka. They demanded that the company discontinued operations.

Residents of Palam Village, Bangkal, Guntung Manggis and Cempaka rally to the diamond mining company 's office in Palam Village on Tambak Jariah Road on Monday.

"We asked the company to be closed and all diamond mining operations in the area to be stopped," said community leader Haji Masrani from Palam village at the entrance to the company 's workshop.

Not only by oration, they also marked their action by the installation two banners at the entrance to the workshop that they asked the company dislodge heavy equipments from the site within a month.

Other banners contains allegations against the environmental impacts arising from the company's operations, in addition to the environmental impact assessment they accused not clear that interfere agricultural production.

According to Masrani, since PT Galuh Cempaka operation a few years ago, the quality of the environment in the local area decreases as evident of crop failures in rice acreage owned by Handil Bamban, Palam, residents.

He said people had met the company's management two months ago but no solutions so that people demanded holder's of Kontrak Karya (mining contract with government) halt it activities of diamonds mine.

Residents are also demanding companies keep their promises to give back the land in the area of Danau Seran. The land acquisition in 1996, but citizens only receive compensation. "The company promised to return the land to the residents after the work contract expired in 2034 but in 2010 the company handed it over to the municipal government of Banjarbaru," he said.

Joko Hardiono, company representative, said he could not take a decision on the demands because he is not the decision maker, but he will deliver the aspirations to the directors in Jakarta.

"The demands of residents have recorded and banners demands also contains my photos to be sent to Jakarta," Joko said adding that the company was taking a break in operation for transfer of ownership.

He added , concession companies in the subdistrict Cempaka  whose shares ever owned by companies from Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia reached .2.900 hectares.

"From the land area , only a third of the company's operations worked and now in a break since 2012 due to internal problems, " said the former Head of the Banjarbaru Mining Agency.