Bima Demonstrators Burn Govt Office

Mataram (Antara Bali) - Thousands of demonstrators ran amuck,  burned the office of the Bima district head in West Nusa Tenggara and forced the release of 53 police detainees on Thursday.

Witnesses said the demonstrators came to the Raba police detention center  in Bima district and demanded the release of 53 villagers taken into custody by the police following the demonstration at Sape port on December 24, 2011.

"The demonstrators threatened to burn the center if their demand was not met and so center officials finally gave in to the joy of the  demonstrators," Didin, one of the witnesses, said.

Efforts to release the detainees were part of the demonstration  held by more than 10,000 villagers from Sape, Lambu and Langgudu sub-districts.

Delian Lubis, one of the coordinators of the action, said that initially the demonstrators only wished to occupy the office of the Bima district head to demand the release of the detainees and the revocation of the mining license of PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara (SMN).

They became angry after the police blocked their way to the office and then broke into the building and then burned it.

The flame spread quickly because of strong winds and no efforts were made to extinguish it as employees left the building for safety.

West Nusa Tenggara regional police commander Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sukarman Husein confirmed the incident saying "according to information that I received they have burned the office of the Bima district head  and the office of the regional General Elections Commission (KPUD) located in the same area and everything in the offices including motorcycles and cars in the compound." (IGT)