The decision was based on a recommendation from Director General of Mineral and Coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Thamrin Sihite and a decision of the Bima district legislative body, spokesman of the Bima district administration Aris Gunawan said.
The recommendation dated January 26, 2012 among others suggested that the district head issue a decision stopping the mineral exploration activities in the subdistricts of Lambu, Sape and Langgudu, he said.
The recommendation came a day after the district legislative body had issued a decision on January 25, 2012 asking the district government to stop the activities, he said.
Head of the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Mining and Energy Office Eko Bambang Sutedjo said the recommendation from the director general of mineral and coal was not intended to ask the district head to revoke the company`s mining permit but to stop its mining activities in the region permanently.
The district head`s decision affected 24,980 hectares of mining area in the subdistricts of Lambu, Sape and Langgudu, he said.
The recommendation of the director general of mineral and coal and the decision of the local legislative body came nearly a month after an angry mob torched the Bima district head`s office late last year in protest against his decision allowing the company to conduct mineral explorations in the region.
During their rally on December 27 last year the demonstrators demanded the revocation of the district head`s decision and asked suspect AS who had been handed over to the prosecutor`s office to be released.
AS was suspected of having provoked the torching of the Lambu sub-district head`s residence on March 10, 2011.
Two people were killed in the Dec 26 rally.
Police have questioned at last 40 of their officers over the violence in the December 26 clash at the Sape ferry port in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara.
(Uu.S012/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
