Bomb hoax mars mining protest

CIREBON, West Java: A bomb hoax marred the second day of a protest by around 500 illegal sand miners at the Cirebon legislative council, West Java, on Wednesday.

As protesters dispersed, council staff found a suspicious object wrapped in a plastic bag placed near the perimeter fence.

A police bomb squad later arrived to examine the black bag and found it was only a hoax.

"The bag contained only two small pieces of coconut fruit wrapped in paper and cloth. Cables were also there," said local bomb squad chief Adj. Second Insp. Agus Robintus.

Wednesday was the second day of a peaceful protest by residents from Argasunya neighborhood, Harjamukti subdistrict, against the closure of an illegal mine there.

They marched to the Cirebon mayor's office on Tuesday, protesting the closure by the local administration, which has rendered them jobless. -- JP