Samarinda, E Kalimantan – Some 400 workers of the Indonesian forestry company, PT Wana Rimba Kencana, staged a rally in front of the East Kalimantan governor's office here Friday to reject the Industry and Trade Ministry's unilateral decision to freeze the company's permit to export plywood.

The rally aims to win the local administration's sympathy toward the company's fate following the ministerial decree to freeze its permit to export plywood, demonstrator, Dekri Suaban, said.

The decision to freeze Wana Rimba Kencana's export permit has caused it to lay off 1,000 workers in March, none of whom has received a severance pay because the company cannot export its products, he said.