Indonesia: Demonstrators set fire to Bima Regent’s office; Regent revokes contested mining permit

A more detailed report of these events can be read on Hidup Biasa (translated from Barawera)

Addition: After setting fire to the office, thousands to people went to the Bima Prison. 53 people were released after the crowd threatened to burn the prison if those held since the events on December 24 were not released. Prison officers met their request. The police are reported to be looking for the ‘escapees’.  (via Negasi-negasi)

January 28: Indonesian local government officials revoked the mining permit of Australian company Arc Exploration, who were planning to build a gold mine in Bima. In December between two and eight people were killed by policeduring a port blockade against the proposed mine.

A group of residents from Lambu, Sape and Langgudu districts storm the Bima Regency office compound.

On Thursday January 26, demonstrators stormed the Bima Regency office compound before burning the office and several other buildings in the compound in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. Their anger was driven by the local administration failing to permanently revoke the mining permit of PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara (Arc Exploration).

On Saturday, following this demonstration, Regent Ferry Zulkarnain revoked the mining permit for “security reasons.”

Protesters in Makassar burned tires on Friday during a demonstration in solidarity with the Bima protesters.