Fitri, Mataram – Dozens of villagers have stopped construction of the Lombok International Airport by blocking the road to the site in protest of unfair hiring practices, unpaid wages and lack of compensation for their land.

The protesters came from Pujut, Ketara and Tanak Awu villages in Central Lombok district, site of the yet unfinished airport.

They began their sit-in on Monday and complained that only three of 170 locals who applied for a job at the site were hired, while the rest of the workers were brought in from Java.

On Tuesday, the villagers said state airport operator Angkasa Pura failed to compensate them for the five hectares of land it acquired for the airport. They added the company also owed the locals they hired Rp 500 million ($56,000) in wages.

Athar, a demonstrator, said the blockade would continue as long as their demands were not met. "The local people have sacrificed a lot for this airport to be built, but there's been no reward for our sacrifice," he said.

He added they felt deceived by the firm, which he said had offered "major benefits" including jobs. Only three villagers have been hired. They work as security officers and firefighters.

Meanwhile, neither Athar nor the other protestors could say how much Angkasa Pura owed them for their land.

Marsidi AP, deputy construction supervisor for Angkasa Pura's Lombok office, met the protesters on Tuesday and promised to convey their grievances. But Marsidi said employment matters were handled by the office at Selaparang Airport in Mataram, not by the Lombok office.

"Those positions aren't just for the construction phase of the project, but for a longer time period," he said. "Once the Lombok airport is finished, workers are expected to be placed elsewhere in the country by Angkasa Pura for similar projects."

Marsidi added his office would coordinate with the project contractors and the villagers to find a swift resolution to the standoff and ensure the March 2011 deadline for project completion is met.