Man nabbed for threats to Canadian

Man nabbed for threats to Canadian

A man has been arrested for making death threats to expatriates
working at a Canadian-operated nickel mine in South Sulawesi
province, police said on Thursday.

They said the man made the threats because he feared he would
lose his job to a foreigner.

Police reinforcements were sent to the mine last month and the
Canadian and Australian governments warned of a "credible
terrorist threat" in the area. The reason for the warnings was
not disclosed.

"The man, a doctor working at the mine, was arrested in
Soroako on Tuesday evening and is still under intensive police
questioning," South Sulawesi Police spokesman Andi Nurman Tahir
told AFP.

Tahir said the man has admitted making hundreds of death
threats by mobile phone messages since January.

They were mostly sent to a Canadian executive of International
Nickel Indonesia (Inco). Some also threatened that other
expatriates would become targets unless they return home.

Tahir said the man was afraid he would lose his job following
rumors that the company would replace local doctors at the mine
with foreigners.

Canada last month warned its citizens of a "credible terrorist
threat" to Western interests in South Sulawesi and advised them
to avoid the area. A similar warning was issued by the Australian
embassy.

The state Antara news agency said last month that 51 Canadians
in South Sulawesi had told their respective companies they wanted
to leave Indonesia following Ottawa's warning.

Indonesia has been rocked by a series of terror attacks in
recent years. Most of them, including the Bali bombings which
killed 202 people in October 2002, have been blamed on the Al
Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah.

Inco is mining about 3,000 hectares for nickel. Its current
contract will expire in 2025. --AFP