Latest news with #Papua
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CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Indonesia probes alleged nickel mining in world-renowned coral reef haven Raja Ampat
JAKARTA: Indonesia is investigating alleged nickel mining in Raja Ampat amid growing concerns about environmental damage to one of the world's top marine biodiversity hotspots. An official from the Environment and Forestry Ministry confirmed on Wednesday (Jun 4) its law enforcement division is probing the situation. Her comments came a day after activists from non-governmental organisation (NGO) Greenpeace Indonesia staged a peaceful protest in Jakarta at an environmental conference attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno. Raja Ampat, in Southwest Papua province, harbours an estimated 75 per cent of the world's known coral species. Designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, the archipelago is also home to over 2,500 species of fish, according to Greenpeace Indonesia. 'We are currently following up and developing steps for law enforcement,' said Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, secretary of the ministry's Environmental Control Agency, at a sustainability forum in Bali on Wednesday, reported the Jakarta Globe. The previous day, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said he would summon companies, whether state-owned or private entities, with nickel mining permits in Raja Ampat for a review. 'We will review this with my directors. I will call the owners in. There must be local values that must be respected,' Bahlil was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe on Tuesday at the sidelines of the Human Capital Summit in Jakarta. At the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference and Expo on Tuesday, a group of protesters was seen walking into the event venue with large banners as deputy minister Arif was speaking. Some of the banners read 'Nickel mines destroy lives', 'Save Raja Ampat from nickel mining' and 'What's the true cost of your nickel?'. Greenpeace said in a press release that its youth activists as well as four young West Papuans from Raja Ampat were involved in the demonstration, intended to warn government officials and industry leaders about the environmental and social costs of nickel extraction. News outlet Tempo reported three activists and a Papuan woman were detained by the police after the protest. PROTECTED FORESTS CLEARED FOR NICKEL MINES: NGO Nickel is a critical mineral for stainless steel as well as electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the world's biggest nickel producer and is trying to keep more of the production value chain on its shores. But nickel extraction and processing – in places such as Sulawesi and Halmahera in the Maluku islands – have caused concerns such as health impacts on surrounding communities, damage to forests, rivers and other ecosystems, as well as infringement of indigenous people's rights. A study by Greenpeace found that over 500 hectares of forest and native vegetation have been cleared for nickel mines on the West Papua islands of Gag, Kawe and Manuran within the Raja Ampat archipelago, resulting in soil runoff and sedimentation that endangers coral reefs and marine ecosystems. According to Greenpeace, the three islands are classified as small islands and are protected under the law on the management of coastal areas and small islands, which prohibits mining activity in such regions. While the full legal documentation of several mining projects in Raja Ampat is still under review, two licenced operators, Gag Nikel and Kawei Sejahtera Mining, are known to be active in the region, news outlet Jakarta Globe reported. According to Jakarta Post, Gag Nikel holds an operating licence that encompasses the entire Gag Island, which is regarded as a protected tropical rainforest. According to an annual report by local mining giant Antam in 2023, the island has estimated nickel ore reserves of more than 42 million dry tonnes. Minister Bahlil, who comes from Papua, stressed the need for special consideration in mining regulations given Papua's special autonomy status, local media reported. Local authorities in Raja Ampat have expressed frustration at their limited jurisdiction, according to Jakarta Globe. The archipelago's regent, Orideko Burdam, said that although 97 per cent of the archipelago comprises conservation land, decisions on mining permits are controlled by the central government in Jakarta, hindering local intervention. 'When environmental damage occurs due to mining, we are powerless because we lack authority,' he was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe. Julian Kelly Kambu, head of the West Papua Forestry and Environment Department, said that several firms were given mining licences before the creation of Southwest Papua as a province. Julian warned that unless regulatory authority is decentralised, the sustainable development goals in the region could be at risk, the Jakarta Globe reported. Local leaders are calling on the central government to reconsider the limits of regional authority over forest and land management, to encourage greater involvement from indigenous communities to improve their economic well being.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits parts of Indonesia
An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck the West Papua region in Indonesia, the GFZ reported. The quake hit the country at 3.43am local time. There was no tsunami threat.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Rising military operations in West Papua spark concerns about displacement of indigenous Papuans
This photo is shared by from the Indonesia Army. It shows the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Mobile Yonif 1 Marine Task Force for Indonesian-PNG Border Security interact with the indigenous Papuan women in Kokamu Village, Yahukimo Regency, Papua and purchase local agricultural produce. 10 May 2025 Led by the Bravo Post Commander, this activity was more than just an economic transaction. It served as a direct interaction platform between Indonesian Navy soldiers and the indigenous Papuan community. The soldiers purchased local agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, and tubers, showing their appreciation for the community's hard work. Photo: Faceook / Pusat Penerangan TNI A West Papua independence leader says escalating violence is forcing indigenous Papuans to flee their ancestral lands. It comes as the Indonesian military claims 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) were killed in an hour-long operation in Intan Jaya on 14 May. In a statement, reported by Kompas Daily , Indonesia's military said its presence is "not to intimidate the people" but to protect them from violence. "We will not allow the people of Papua to live in fear in their own land," it said. Indonesia's military said it seized firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows. They also took morning star flags - used as a symbol for West Papuan independence - and communication equipment. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, told RNZ Pacific that seven villages in Ilaga, Puncak Regency in Central Papua are now being attacked. "The current military escalation in West Papua has now been building for months. Initially targeting Intan Jaya, the Indonesian military have since broadened their attacks into other highlands Regencies, including Puncak," he said. Wenda said women and children are being forced to leave their villages because of escalating conflict, often from drone attacks or airstrikes. Benny Wenda Photo: RNZ Pacific / Kelvin Anthony Earlier this month, ULMWP claimed one civilian and another was seriously injured after being shot at from a helicopter. Last week, ULMWP shared a video of a group of indigenous Papuans walking through mountains holding an Indonesian flag, which Wenda said was a symbol of surrender. "They look at us as primitive and they look at us as subhuman," Wenda said. He said the increased military presence was driven by resources. President Prabowo Subianto's administration has a goal to be able to feed Indonesia's population without imports as early as 2028. A video statement from tribes in Mappi Regency in South Papua from about a month ago, translated to English, said they rejected Indonesia's food project and asked companies to leave. In the video, about a dozen Papuans stood while one said the clans in the region had existed on customary land for generations and that companies had surveyed land without consent. "We firmly ask the local government, the regent, Mappi Regency to immediately review the permits and revoke the company's permits," the person speaking said. Wenda said the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) had also grown. But he said many of the TPNPB were using bow and arrows against modern weapons. "I call them home guard because there's nowhere to go."
Al Jazeera
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Rains halt search for gold miners after deadly Indonesian landslide
Torrential rains have forced Indonesian rescuers to suspend their efforts to find 14 missing gold miners after a landslide in the remote east of the country killed six of their colleagues. Officials reported on Monday that the weather and difficult terrain were hindering the search for the workers in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua. Torrential rain triggered a landslide and floods late on Friday near a small mine run by residents in the Arfak Mountains in West Papua province, Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the National Agency for Disaster Management, told the Reuters news agency. The storm swept away temporary shelters used by the miners, killing at least six people and injuring four, he reported. 'The floodwaters from upstream hit a temporary housing area of traditional gold miners at around 9:00 pm (1200 GMT),' Muhari said in a statement. The search to locate the missing miners has been hampered by 'damaged roads and mountainous tracks as well as bad weather,' said Yefri Sabaruddin, the head of a team of 40 rescuers, including police and military officials. He noted that it took 12 hours to travel to the site from the nearest town. Authorities said they plan to resume their search for the missing on Tuesday. Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago nation, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment. That leaves them open to accidents as operations located in remote areas and in difficult conditions make it hard for the authorities to regulate them. There was no official indication of the mine's legal status. Sabaruddin stressed that the focus is on evacuating victims. Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically from November to April. A landslide caused by heavy rains at an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra in September killed 13 people and injured 12. In July, at least 27 people were killed in a landslide near an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Free Malaysia Today
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
6 dead, 14 missing after landslide in Indonesia's Papua
Small-scale and illegal mining has often led to landslides in Indonesia. (AP pic) JAKARTA : Torrential rains forced a halt today to Indonesia's search for 14 missing in its easternmost region of Papua after a landslide killed six workers at a gold mine and injured four, officials said. The rains had triggered Friday's landslide, which hit a small mine run by residents of the Arfak mountains of West Papua province, said Abdul Muhari, the spokesman of Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Authorities will resume tomorrow their search for those missing after the disaster, which engulfed temporary shelters used by miners. The search effort was hampered by 'damaged roads and mountainous tracks as well as bad weather', Yefri Sabaruddin, the head of a team of 40 rescuers, including police and military officials, who retrieved five bodies, told Reuters. Travelling to the site required 12 hours from the nearest town, he said. Today's tally was updated from an earlier figure of one dead and 19 missing. Small-scale and illegal mining has often led to accidents in Indonesia, where mineral resources are located in remote areas in conditions difficult for authorities to regulate. The number of casualties could rise. At least 15 people died in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra province last September after a landslide caused by heavy rains. Another landslide in a gold mine on Sulawesi island killed at least 23 people in July last year.
