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Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
From Indonesia's poisoned gold tunnels, miners look to farming
Dedi Supriadi swings his hoe into the soil at his aubergine and cucumber farm – land where he once dug for gold in the hamlet of Citorek Kidul in Indonesia. The mountainous region is scarred by illegal gold mining, where workers carve deep into hillsides and caves and risk their lives in the process. Tempted by the traces of gold left behind by a former state-run mine, Aneka Tambang (ANTAM), villagers have turned to small-scale illegal mining, driving deforestation and using toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide that pollute water and kill wildlife. Critics and environmentalists have called for stricter measures to stop the practice and encourage a return to traditional and less destructive ways of life like farming. A police crackdown and signs of change, such as several miners recently switching to farming, have raised hopes of a possible turning point in the effort. Sukmadi Jaya Rukmana, a local agricultural officer, is helping miners transition to traditional livelihoods. He warned the uncontrolled mining can increase the risk of deadly landslides. "The green vegetation around the mountains is stripped away, leaving rainwater to rush downhill without any natural buffer," said Rukmana. Such threats moved Supriadi to leave mining behind. "I'd rather stick to small-scale farming like this than go back to the mines. I'm scared of getting buried, especially during the rainy season," he said. Citorek Kidul's 1,800 residents live on the ancestral territory of the Kasepuhan Banten Kidul traditional community, 130 km (81 miles) southwest of Jakarta. Its culture of sacred forest protection and rice harvests is under threat as residents dig for gold, leaving deep pits and tunnels too difficult to be restored. Indonesia, one of the world's megadiverse countries with vast swaths of rainforest, represents about 3% of global gold output, alongside South Africa and Peru, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. The gold site in Citorek Kidul was mined by ANTAM in the 1980s. Operations ceased in the 1990s, and the site was abandoned soon afterwards. Driven by economic hardship and a lack of state oversight after ANTAM pulled out, villagers began revisiting the drilling sites, using artisanal methods without formal reclamation or monitoring. The illegal mining intensified as word spread. In February, Banten Regional Police arrested 10 suspects accused of mining gold without a license, according to local media, which can lead to five years in prison and a fine up to 100 billion Indonesian Rupiah ($6.1 million). Local authorities face the challenge of encouraging less destructive ways of making money, like sustainable agriculture. For centuries, Citorek villagers relied on inland fisheries for carp as well as farms with rice and other crops, said Jajang Kurniawan, head of the Banten Kidul Regional Indigenous Council. The region has no tradition of mining, which began with large companies like ANTAM, and the Indigenous council never established clear mining rules, he said. "It's been going on for a long time, and people here won't accept a ban. If we try to enforce one, we end up clashing with our own people," Kurniawan said. "Customary leaders have advised against mining, but it remains only a recommendation,' he said. The mining is linked to the clearing of forests, erosion of waterways and degradation of soil, according to research published in 2022 in the Media Ekonomi journal. DIGGING DEEP Stone carver Sumantri chisels at depths of up to 150 meters (492 feet), wearing no protective gear as he looks for gold-bearing rock. "It's risky down there – prone to collapse," he said. "We had to bring in timber to brace the walls." A few years ago, he earned 10 million Indonesian Rupiah ($612) when his team struck gold, but this year they have yet to find another gold-bearing rock and he earns just 100,000 Indonesian Rupiah ($6) a day. Supriadi said he used to lead a 15-person team digging and chiseling rocks, hauling sacks weighing more than 50 kg (110 lbs) and using dynamite inside caves as deep as 100 meters (328 feet). To survive in shafts that deep, miners rely on plastic air hoses connected to fuel-powered generators above ground. But the air below is thick and stifling. "Many of my friends developed tuberculosis and lung problems – probably from the dust while chiseling and the air pumped in from the machines," he said. RETURNING TO THE FIELDS In much of Indonesia, food production, like mining, is linked to deforestation as plantations are built for palm oil and commercial crops. But guided by customary laws, communities could practise small-scale agriculture that respects forest zones and natural cycles. If Indonesia were to reduce mining, it must present the miners with options and help connect farmers to markets, said Rezki Syahrir, CEO of the Indonesian Initiative for Sustainable Mining (IISM), an independent non-governmental organization. "There needs to be economic diversification into other sectors, such as agriculture, plantations or inland fisheries," he said. One challenge is that local tradition considers rice to be sacred and cannot be bought or sold. "They still need money to send their kids to school, to pay for electricity. And you can't exactly pay the power bill with a sack of rice, can you?" said Rukmana. He said 10 illegal miners recently shifted to traditional farming, and they could help produce a surplus of vegetables to boost the local economy, he said. Supriadi said he has been able to earn a stable - and safer - income since he left mining in 2016. He now runs a motorcycle repair shop. "In gold mining, your body's pushed to the limit. It just drains you," he said. "For me, working on the farm is far better."
Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
China UnionPay's Poetry POS Machine Campaign Starts Global Heart-Warming Journey in Thailand
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 15 August 2025 - Recently, alongside a Chinese lantern festival held in Thailand, UnionPay's Poetry POS Machine public welfare initiative brought the poems of Chinese children in mountainous areas overseas for the very first time. During the event, the "Poetry Lights the Heart's Lantern" Bangkok lantern and poem festival was also staged. On-site, the overseas charity booth of UnionPay's Poetry POS Machine, nestled beneath the China-Thailand friendship lantern display, stood out prominently. The large central lantern at the booth was breathtakingly beautiful, while the surrounding lanterns were adorned with children's poems in both Chinese and Thai. Thai children recited verses by their Chinese peers, savoring the childlike wonder and joy from China. Visitors to the booth could either make donations by swiping their UnionPay cards on the POS machine to receive a bilingual Chinese-Thai poetry receipt, or record a poetry-reading audio for free and get a postcard with an audio QR code – a unique memento to call their own. Notably, all donations from the event will be channeled through a local Thai charity foundation to improve the lives and education of local children. As a leading international card network, UnionPay is widely accepted in Thailand, with its global acceptance network spanning 183 countries and regions. "We believe that despite the distance between China and Thailand, the sincerity and warmth in these poems are shared by all. For poetry is a universal language of humanity, a home where all souls can find solace; just as lanterns, no matter where they glow, embody our shared longing for light and warmth," a China UnionPay spokesperson. To shine a light on the talents of children in mountainous regions, China UnionPay took their poems beyond the mountains and launched the Poetry POS Machine initiative in 2019. To date, the initiative has reached over 400 schools in mountainous areas in Anhui, Henan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xinjiang, and other regions, benefiting more than 7,000 local children with art education programs. So far, the campaign has collected over 6,000 poems and published an anthology. Additionally, the first UnionPay public welfare library and 114 public welfare book corners have been put into use in Jinzhai County, central China's Anhui Province. Hashtag: #ChinaUnionPay The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. China UnionPay
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Best photos of August 15: Return of Ukrainian prisoners to Indian Independence Day celebrations
Visitors line up to offer prayers at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the Second World War. AP
