Medical exams find 'no Minamata symptoms'

Medical exams find 'no Minamata symptoms'

A. Junaidi and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta

A preliminary medical examination of four Minahasa residents who
were believed to have fallen ill due to severe pollution in Buyat
Bay, North Sulawesi, found no symptoms of Minamata disease, such
as cramps or nerve damage, health minister Achmad Sujudi said on
Friday.

"It's still unclear whether or not it's Minamata since the
symptoms are not the same. But it's clear that the four residents
are suffering from a skin ailment," Sujudi told a joint press
conference at the office of Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare.

The four residents who live near the bay have reported the
U.S.-based Newmont Minahasa Raya gold mining company to the
National Police for polluting the bay, causing them to fall sick.

The meeting was led by interim coordinating minister for
people's welfare Malik Fadjar and attended by acting minister of
energy and mineral resources Hatta Radjasa and a deputy minister
of the state minister for the environment.

Sujudi said health workers would further examine the
residents's blood, nails and hair to determine whether their
illness was caused by pollution.

A team of doctors who had visited Ratatotok village also in
Minahasa found similar skin problems, including lumps, in 30
residents in the village where local miners live.

"It could be caused by the heavy metal content in their body
or just a common skin disease caused by poor sanitation," Sujudi
said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Environmental Supervision
Masnellyati Ilham said the pollution in Buyat Bay could be caused
by either PT Newmont Minahasa or local miners.

"Many illegal gold miners are operating there and they cannot
be controlled. We will conduct an investigation into both the
company and the local miners," Masnellyati said.

Separately, the National Police announced on Friday it would
investigate other mining companies across the country to avoid a
similar incident, including PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara on Sumbawa
Island, West Nusa Tenggara.

"Together with the Office of the State Minister of the
Environment, we will examine all the companies' activities
similar to those of Newmont following what we have observed in
Minahasa," said National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

Earlier on Friday, the four people from Buyat village who
claimed to be suffering from Minamata disease underwent tests at
the Eijkman Laboratory and Jakarta Health Agency Laboratory.

The laboratory results are expected to be submitted to the
police in four days, a police officer said.

The four villagers: Masna Strima, 39, Sri Fika, 19, Juriah,
42, and Rasyid Rahmat, 38, then went to the National Police
headquarters to file a complaint.

Also on Friday, PT Newmont Minahasa Raya filed a complaint
with the National Police Headquarters about non-governmental
organizations and individuals, which it said had released
misleading information to the public that could damage the
company's reputation.

The company reiterated that the accusations that it had caused
Minamata disease were baseless.

Mohammad Kasmali, PT Newmont's legal consultant, said the
company ran its operation in accordance with Indonesian law and
had acted responsibly toward the community living in the
surrounding area.