How much does that gold ring cost?

Ibu Masna, mother of four children, traveled to Jakarta from her village on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on July 21 to report the abuses of the world's most profitable gold miner on her community to the National Police and Ministry of Health.

Masna and other members of her community told officials that the company is guilty of spreading Minamata Disease.

Newmont, from Denver, Colorado, U.S., have been dumping their heavy metal-laden waste into Buyat Bay since 1996. Buyat Bay, once full of fish, had provided income and food for the Buyat Bay people who live along its shores. Today, the fish are all but gone from the inner parts of the bay and there are tumors in the people and fish never seen before the dumping. Newmont stands accused of polluting the bay with arsenic, mercury, among other heavy metals.

Local doctor Jane Pangemanan confirmed that about 80 percent of the Buyat Bay villagers suffer symptoms similar to the victims of Minamata. Laboratory tests have confirmed high levels of heavy metals in the blood of Buyat Bay villagers, particularly arsenic and mercury.

Newmont has continuously denied these accusations stating that the company has operated in compliance with Indonesian and U.S. environmental standards. However, mercury emissions, mainly from coal-fired plants and the chemical industry in the U.S., have led to advisory guidelines on tuna consumption because of mercury contamination. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has fought against more stringent regulations on mercury. Countries like Indonesia have even lower environmental standards and are perhaps more vulnerable to pressure from business interests.

Gold has and continues to be extracted, processed and used in ways that are killing marginalized peoples and the planet.

Most of the gold produced today goes towards making jewelry. One single 0.33 ounce, 18 karat gold ring produces at least 18 tons of mine waste. The gold mining industry is a voracious industry satisfying a non-essential market based on vanity. Meanwhile, Buyat and Cajarmarca people want clean water and good health for themselves and their children. But gold mining that uses toxic mercury, cyanide and other heavy metals is robbing them of these fundamental human rights.

TRACY GLYNN, Mining Advocacy Network, Jakarta