The contest for Busang's gold

The battle for control of the Busang gold mine in East Kalimantan isn't over. The intensity of the contest is natural. The gold mining business is an undertaking that holds out the promise of enormous profits and the Busang assets that are at present being contested are truly formidable. The East Kalimantan gold mine is estimated to contain at least 92 million ounces of gold, which makes it one of the largest in the world.

Of course, all the arguments the interested parties have made have a good basis. The problem is that, so far, it has not been entirely clear to the public what the whole squabble is actually about. People are still asking themselves questions, such as: Are foreigners really needed to manage a gold mine? Are our own people capable of doing it? How big a share should the government have? How are the decisions regarding the selection of the winner(s) made? Is it necessary to put a time limit on the contract?

It is important to inform the public regarding this. As things are at present, the parties involved in the contest are trying to paint each other in a bad light while the public has been kept in the dark about what the scramble is all about.

It would be good if the parties involved could put their energy into holding a public debate instead. In such a public debate in which all the parties involved sit down and argue about the matter in a cool-headed fashion, the public would be able to judge whether or not they have been sufficiently informed. In the final instance, any support or objection expressed by the public should be heeded by the government as the ultimate decision maker.

-- Republika, Jakarta