TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Central Sulawesi Regional Police named 17 suspects in a clash among hundreds of workers at a smelter in North Morowali, Central Sulawesi, operated by PT Gunbuster Nickel Industri or PT GNI which killed three people.

Head of public relations of the Central Sulawesi Police Sr. Comr. Didik Supranoto said the suspects were announced after the police secured and questioned 71 workers.

"Seventy-one people were arrested. Thirty-three of them has been examined. Seventeen are indicated to have committed acts of vandalism and have been named suspects. The other 16 are subjected to mandatory reporting," said Didik in a statement on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Didik said a meeting chaired by the North Morowali Police Chief with Forkopimda, community leaders, religious leaders, and village heads will be held to resolve the problem.

People are asked not to be provoked by incorrect information, especially on social media which stated that there were female victims, some victims buried in Poso, and others. "Also, no foreign workers have been evacuated. All of them are housed in the boarding house and under the security of the police and military."

The clash at PT GNI took place on Saturday night, January 14, 2023, at around 21:20 hours central Indonesian time (WITA). The joint team led by the North Morowali Police Chief managed to disperse the mass in the early hours of Sunday at around 02:15 hours WITA.

According to the Central Sulawesi Police, the deadly clash was triggered by a sweeping action carried out by the striking workers against workers who refused to take the strike over pay.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo in Google News