Police disperse Inco protesters

Fri, 30 Sep 2005, 00:00 WIB | Source: AP

JAKARTA: Police fired warning shots to disperse protesters
blocking a main road leading to a Canadian-owned nickel mine in
South Sulawesi, a spokesman said Thursday.

No one was injured in the melee on Wednesday close to PT
Inco's mine and smelting complex in Sorowako said company
spokesman Maulana Mahendra, adding that production was
unaffected.

The protesters were demanding compensation in a long-running
dispute over land they claim the company took from them to build
the mine, said Mahendra. He denied the protesters ever owned the
land.

TV footage showed policemen firing into the air and forcibly
removing round 30 demonstrators from the road during the clash.

Canada-based Inco owns 61 percent of the mine. -- AP

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