Bulukumba victims want rubber company closed

More than 200 people from Kajang village in Bulukumba regency protested at the South Sulawesi legislative council on Wednesday to demand the expulsion of PT London Sumatera (Lonsum) from their area.

They also urged the government to give back what they claimed to be their customary 560 hectares of land allegedly occupied for decades by the rubber plantation firm in Bulukumba, some 240 kilometers from the provincial capital, Makassar.

The protesters arrived in Makassar on Tuesday night and stayed overnight at the council building. Most were dressed in traditional black.

They also demanded that police release soon a number of local residents who were arrested in a violent protest on July 21, 2003, against PT Lonsum.

Security officers blamed for shooting dead two protesters during the incident had soon to be taken to court to face justice, they added.

"We shall remain at the council building until the government issues a fair decision (on the land case) in favor of people in Kajang," protest leader Hamzah said.