2 days ago
Indonesia expels 4 miners from Raja Ampat, lets one company stay
PT Gag Nikel is the fifth firm implicated and was allowed to continue operations. Its mining site is on the 6,000 ha Gag island. PHOTO: REUTERS
Indonesia revokes licences of four nickel miners in Raja Ampat, allows one to continue
- The Indonesian government has revoked the business licences of four nickel mining companies operating on the small islands within Raja Ampat, a Unesco site, for breaches related to a permit regulating forest use – it is the latest response to the discovery of illegal works in the country.
However, calls from the international environmental community for a full ban on mining activities in the world-renowned marine biodiversity site still persist.
On June 10, energy and mineral resources minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto that the four firms in question were all in the first steps of operations, namely the exploration stage that involves identifying potential areas of nickel deposits.
Meanwhile, a fifth company, which is being looked into, has started production – this process involves concentrating, smelting and refining the nickel. It has been allowed to continue but is subject to strict monitoring from the government, said Mr Bahlil.
Waste water management systems and air pollution are monitored, among other things.
Apart from these five companies, there are other existing mining companies operating in Raja Ampat.
Indonesia's 2014 coastal areas and small islands management law prohibits mining activities in islands of 2,000 sq km or smaller, like those in Raja Ampat. However, firms that meet certain austere requirements, including being able to give strong assurance that they will not affect the sea ecosystem, mangroves, reefs or any conservation areas, can be issued licences to carry out mining activities.
The four companies whose licences were revoked are PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa, and PT Nurham, said Mr Bahlil. The investigations and breaches were related to the Forest Area Utilisation Approvals, also known as PPKH permits.
During the June 10 press conference, Mr Bahlil did not address questions related to why these firms were granted permits to operate in Raja Ampat.
Besides a mining business permit, firms need a PPKH permit, which, among its terms, allows miners to use allocated areas of forest and also requires that they must later replant the forest area they operate in.
China investor-owned PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, whose site is in the 746 ha Manuran island, allegedly operated without the required environmental management and waste water management systems.
PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, allegedly operated in a forest area beyond the area it was allowed to operate in under its PPKH permit. PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa did not possess a PPKH permit.
PT Gag Nikel is the fifth firm implicated and was allowed to continue operations. Its mining site is on the 6,000 ha Gag island.
The firm, a subsidiary of state-controlled mining company Aneka Tambang, was told on June 5 to halt mining temporarily amid public pressure. After the press conference, it can restart operations immediately.
The decision to allow PT Gag Nikel to continue operations was made based on consultation with all stakeholders including the local community leaders, said Mr Bahlil on June 10, adding: 'President Prabowo has paid special attention to Raja Ampat and exerts serious efforts to keep Raja Ampat a world tourism spot.'
Papuans holding placards, reading 'mining must fall', 'stop destroying our beloved homeland', and 'resist all forms of state policies that exploit Papua's natural resources and people', during a protest march in Sorong on June 10.
PHOTO: AFP
Environmental experts told The Straits Times that a total ban on mining activities on the Raja Ampat islets is the only way forward to protect the popular diving and ecotourism spot located in West Papua. Should any extractive activities continue, it could result in the extinction of the area's flora and fauna.
Raja Ampat , a Unesco Global Geopark site consisting of over 1,500 islets, is one of Indonesia's top destinations for diving and ecotourism . It is internationally recognised as part of the Coral Triangle that home to more than 500 species of coral and more than 1,400 species of fish . As a Unesco Global Geopark, it has to abide by certain regulations including conserving nature and maintaining sustainable tourism.
The Coral Triangle is a global epicentre for marine biodiversity and encompasses the tropical waters around Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
'We appreciate President Prabowo Subianto's firm act to shut those companies' operations, but more should be done,' Dr Fahmy Radhi, an energy economist at the University of Gadjah Mada and a former adviser to a minister, told The Straits Times.
All mining should be banned in Raja Ampat, with no exceptions, he added, saying: 'Any mining anywhere produces environmental pollution. In Raja Ampat, there is so much at stake – natural forest, very rare flora and fauna.'
Raja Ampat, a Unesco Global Geopark site consisting of over 1,500 islets, is one of Indonesia's top destinations for diving and ecotourism.
PHOTO: AFP
Greenpeace had earlier sounded the alarm on these illegal nickel mining activities when it released a June 3 report and videos highlighting the alleged violations against environmental regulations in the islets within Raja Ampat district including the Gag, Kawe and Manuran islands.
Citing the report , Greenpeace forest campaigner Iqbal Damanik said the nickel exploitation in these islands has destroyed more than 500 ha of forest and vegetation. The exploitation has also caused sediment accumulation along the coastline of the small islands, which could potentially hurt coral reef and the Raja Ampat sea ecosystem.
Maritime affairs expert Marcellus Hakeng Jayawibawa warned that if this issue is not addressed promptly, Raja Ampat could lose its Unesco Global Geopark status.
The islets where these mining activities occurred are between 30km to 40km away from the Karst of Piaynemo, one of the most popular geological heritage spots within Raja Ampat.
Raja Ampat is internationally recognised as part of the Coral Triangle that home to more than 500 species of coral and more than 1,400 species of fish.
PHOTO: AFP
During a June 5 visit to some of the affected islands, Mr Bahlil had said that the mining activities were 'quite a distance away'. He also said that there were no visible impacts and that locals there wanted to keep the mining operations going, for the sake of jobs.
But environmental pollution as a result of mining activities can easily spread beyond that 30km to 40 km radius, said University of Gadjah Mada's Dr Fahmy.
He also noted that exploration and exploitation mining works would have already begun shortly after some of these firms received their mining permits as far back as 2013 . While the matter is only receiving attention now, he expects that mining works and pollution would have already caused significant impacts, such as air pollution and sedimentation of the coastal areas .
The Raja Ampat mining violations have also sparked a wave of outcry on social media, with netizens posting content and videos on social media criticising the lack of oversight or calling for government action. It has also resulted in the trending hashtag #saverajaampat.
The Raja Ampat mining violations have sparked a wave of outcry on social media, with one video featuring young boys making impassioned pleas to the government.
PHOTO: EMELDAPUTRI22/INSTAGRAM
A video that has made the rounds features several young boys , against the backdrop of Raja Ampat, making impassioned pleas to the government.
One of them says: '(When) I was little, I swam in crystal-clear seawater and listened to the cheerful chirping of birds.
'Now, the earth is scarred, the sea has turned murky brown, and the birds' songs are slowly fading. All of this is sacrificed for mining and money.'
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja has been Indonesia correspondent at The Straits Times since 2008, and is based in Jakarta.
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