Police said that activities at a Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry-owned nickel smelter in Indonesia have resumed after being put on hold due to violence and protests that left two workers dead over the weekend.
Conflicts between demonstrators, employees, and security personnel took place at the PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI) smelter, a division of Jiangsu Delong, and resulted in the deaths of an Indonesian and a Chinese worker, as well as the burning of vehicles and dorms.
The Central Sulawesi police spokeswoman Didik Supranoto said in a statement on Tuesday that “the situation at GNI in North Morowali is somewhat favourable and the firm today has commenced operating.”
“Hundreds of employees have arrived at the site,” he continued, posting a video of workers arriving on motorcycles while police officers stood guard at the facility’s entrance. The workers were wearing grey uniforms and yellow helmets.
GNI was not available for comment. It stated in a statement on Monday that it is collaborating with police to look into what sparked the incidents.
More than 500 police and military officers have been dispatched to secure the nickel smelting factory, according to Indonesia’s police commander, and more will reinforce.
The smelter, which has a 1.8 million ton annual output capacity, was started by GNI in late 2021. To construct the smelter, an estimated $2.7 billion was spent.
According to Indonesian authorities, there are 1,300 foreign employees and 11,000 Indonesian workers at the GNI factory.
The violence was denounced by the Chinese embassy in Indonesia.
The embassy released a statement in which it said, “We, like the Indonesian Government, condemn this heinous act, during which the violent breaking into the industrial park caused casualties of Chinese and Indonesian personnel and damage to equipment in the park.”
