Jakarta – Three people have been arrested for an attack on two foreign bosses at an Indonesian dealer for Swedish truckmaker Volvo, police said yesterday.

Swedish national Michael Ollson suffered three stab wounds after being attacked with a machete on June 5, said local police chief Kodirun Karya. A South African identified as Mr Paul Du Plesis sustained facial injuries caused by beatings, he said.

Mr Du Plesis is the chief security officer with Eka Dharma, which deals in Volvo trucks and other heavy equipment at Balikpapan in East Kalimantan on Borneo island.

Three people, including a youth activist who does not work for Eka Dharma, were arrested for allegedly instigating the attack, police said. Thirty-one employees who were facing dismissal had demanded severance pay totalling 10 billion rupiah (S$2.2 million), Mr Karya said.

Mr Ollson was stabbed in the back and slashed in the face at a meeting with the workers which went awry. Mr Ollson, an executive with Eka Dharma, was trying to negotiate a settlement with the workers, who were demanding that eight managers also be fired.

Officials from the Swedish Embassy were not available for comment.