Unrestrained mining endangering forests<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A coalition of environmental groups here urged the government to
\nwithdraw licenses given to mining companies that plan to operate
\nin around one-fifth of the country's protected forests and
\nconservation areas.<\/p>\n
The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also blasted the
\nmining companies for their efforts to force the government to
\nchange several regulations in order to legalize their operations.<\/p>\n
\"They have urged the government to revise Law No. 41\/1999 on
\nforestry which has hampered their investment. They want the
\nstatus of the forests to be changed from protected forests into
\nforest concessions,\" Chalid Muhammad from the Network of Advocacy
\nfor People's Mines (JATAM) told a media briefing last week.<\/p>\n
Chalid did not reveal the names of those mining companies.<\/p>\n
The mining companies have threatened to sue Indonesia through
\nan international arbitrator should the government refuse to open
\nthe 11.4 million hectares of protected forest for new operations
\nin Sumatra, Jawa, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara islands,
\nMaluku islands and Irian Jaya. Around 150 mining companies have
\nexplored the area.<\/p>\n
Longgena Ginting of the Indonesian Forum for Environment
\n(Walhi) pointed out the current mining sites have reached more
\nthan 35 percent of Indonesia's mainland and have largely
\nresponsible for environmental destruction in the country.<\/p>\n
The endangered areas include protected forest in Gag-Papua
\nisland, Poboya-Paneki forest in Central Sulawesi and Meru Betiri
\nNational Park in Jember, East Java. -- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/unrestrained-mining-endangering-forests-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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