Police disperse Inco protesters

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 | 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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