Rejection Ends In Clashes, South Sulawesi Police Personnel Standby At The Banyuasin West Batu Mining Location

Illustration of mine sites (ANTARA)

PALEMBANG - The South Sumatra Regional Police (Polda Sulsel) until Thursday were still alerting dozens of personnel to secure the location of the coal mine PT Basin Coal Mining (PT BCM) in Banyuasin Regency after clashes between the community and the company in early September 2023. "The residents of the South Sumatra Police and the Banyuasin Police are still on standby at the border location of Paldas Village, Rantau Bayur District, Banyuasin with West Tanjung Agung, Musi Banyuasin (Muba) to prevent such clashes from happening again," said Head of Public Relations of the South Sumatra Police Kombes Pol Supriadi quoted by ANTARA Thursday, September 7. According to him, the South Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Irjen Pol Rahmad Wibowo ordered personnel at the mine location to carry out mediation steps, both to the company and community so that clashes did not occur again and the condition of the security and other assets belong to the coal mining company. "Meanwhile, both parties agreed to refrain from activities that could trigger clashes, until there was mutually beneficial agreement," he said. He explained that the clashes took place around the location of the coal mining of PT BCM due to the rejection of residents of Paldas Village towards making road access to coal companies some time ago ignored by the company. The neglect cap of PT BCM was accompanied by the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit AKP Kurniawan Azhar asked the public not to resume acts of anarchy because it was an act of violating the law.

Furthermore, his party together with the Banyuasin Regency Government continue to facilitate mediation between the community and PT BCM regarding the aspirations of the community so that the incident does not happen again. "We have asked PT BCM to first stop all activities around Paldas Village, Rantau Bayur District, Banyuasin," said the Banyuasin Police Chief.