House to mull OK'ing mines in protected forests<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is seeking support
\nfrom the House of Representatives (DPR) for its policy to allow
\nsome mining companies to operate in protected forests -- a move
\nwhich will predictably meet strong resistance from
\nenvironmentalists.<\/p>\n
The move comes as the ministry is still unable to gain full
\nsupport from all Cabinet members for the policy.<\/p>\n
The ministry expects the House to use its political power to
\npersuade or pressure the Ministry of Forestry, the main opponent
\nof the policy, to change its stance.<\/p>\n
"We will meet the DPR soon. We expect to have resolution from
\nDPR," Director General of Geology and Mineral Resources Wimpy S.
\nTjetjep said last week.<\/p>\n
According to Wimpy, the government must show fairness towards
\nmining firms which have invested billion of dollars for
\nexploration but now have been banned from continuing their
\noperations by the Ministry of Forestry .<\/p>\n
The ministry banned their operations in compliance with
\nForestry Law No. 41, issued in 1999, which bans open-pit mining
\noperations in protected forests; while the affected mining firms
\nstarted exploration years before the issuance of the law.<\/p>\n
"That's unfair to them, therefore we must give them the best
\nsolution," he said.<\/p>\n
Following the implementation of the law, about 150 mining
\ncompanies had to stop their operations because they operated in
\nthe areas which the Ministry of Forestry categorized as
\n"protected forests"<\/p>\n
Among them are the nickel mining operation of PT Gag Nickel on
\nGag Island in Papua, and the gold mining company PT Citra Palu
\nMinerals in Central Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Gag Island has a huge nickel deposit, considered the world's
\nlargest nickel deposit after those found in Goro in New Zealand
\nand Voissey Bay in Canada.<\/p>\n
Gag Nickel is jointly owned by Australian business group BHP
\nPty. Ltd. and Indonesia's state-owned mining firm PT Aneka
\nTambang.<\/p>\n
Citra Palu is 90 percent owned by Anglo-Australian mining
\ngiant Rio Tinto with the remaining 10 percent held by local firm
\nPT Arlia Karyamaska.<\/p>\n
The mining firms have for years protested the ban and
\nrequested the government to review it, saying their operations
\nwould create multiplier effects on the country's economy and the
\nwelfare of local people.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations like the Mining
\nAdvocacy Network (Jatam) and The Indonesian Forum for the
\nEnvironment (Walhi) have put their weight behind the law, by
\nsupporting the ban imposed by the Ministry of Forestry on the
\nmining firms.<\/p>\n
The NGOs said open-pit mining activities would greatly damage
\nthe environment in and around a mining sites and would displace
\nlocal people from their land.<\/p>\n
In addition, once a mining site was abandoned, it would be
\nvery difficult to rehabilitate the area, according to the NGOs.<\/p>\n
According to Jatam, mining areas have reached 84 million
\nhectares, or more than half of the country's total land. Thus, it
\nis not necessary to allow mining companies to operate in
\nconservation areas.<\/p>\n
It added that the mining sector accounts for 10 percent of the
\ndestruction of the country's forest.<\/p>\n
Conservation areas and protected forests now cover about 54
\nmillion hectares, according to government data.<\/p>\n
Concerned ministries -- The Ministry of Energy and Mineral
\nResources, The Ministry of Environment and The Ministry of
\nForestry -- have been in talks to resolve the problem.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Environment has reportedly agreed to allow the
\ncompanies to resume their operation, but the Ministry of Forestry
\nhas consistently opposed the idea.<\/p>\n
However, the three ministries have agreed not to issue new
\nlicenses to new mining companies to operate in conservation
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Asking whether the government and the House would consider
\nrevising the current Forestry Law, Wimpy said the revision would
\ndepend on the House's will.<\/p>\n
"Amending the law will be difficult and will take a long
\ntime," he added.<\/p>\n
Separately, Golkar legislator M. Husni Thamrin, who is a
\nmember of the House's Commission VIII which oversees, among other
\nthings, mining affairs, said he preferred to suggest that his
\ncolleagues amend the Forestry Law.<\/p>\n
"We must understand mineral resources are a gift from God for
\npeople. They might not exist in other locations.<\/p>\n
"If a mine has potential, we can decide whether or not to
\nexploit it to bring wealth to people," he said.<\/p>\n
He added that should the government agree, the revision could
\nbe completed in two months.<\/p>\n
However, according to Husni, the issue must be discussed
\ncarefully because protected areas are also needed to prevent
\nflooding, erosion and other natural disasters.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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