University students oppose mining in protected forests
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Jakarta
Hundreds of students from the University of North Sumatra (USU) rallied at the provincial legislature and gubernatorial offices on Thursday to protest against the central government's plan to grant licenses to mining companies operating in protested forests.
The students demanded that the governor and the legislature issue a regulation banning all mining in forests across the province, citing the environmental damages caused by mining.
"Open pit mining in protected forests violates Law No. 41/1999 on forestry and Law No. 5/1990 on natural resources conservation," chairman of the university's School of Forestry Student Association Fajar Suryono said.
He warned Jakarta against violating the legislation and demanded that it review its decision.
The central government is awaiting the House of Representatives' response to its decision to allow 22 companies to operate in protected forests across the country, and is currently processing the permit for another 124 firms. The government said these companies had signed contracts before the forestry law came into force.
One of the 22 companies awaiting House approval is PT Sorikmas Mining, a foreign investment company which holds a concession in Mandailing Natal regency.
There are two firms operating in North Sumatra which are among the second batch of mining companies seeking House approval to start operations, namely PT Horas Nauli in South Tapanuli regency and PT Dairi Prima Mineral in Dairi regency.
A company will be given a permit if it wins the support of the local government.
"If the licenses are easily issued, we will be facing a serious threat of environmental damage to our forests. We care for nature, not for our own interests but for the sake of the ecosystem," Fajar said,
The deputy chairman of the local legislature's environment commission, Adil Sirait, met with the students and told them the legislature would convey the students' demands to Jakarta.
Head of the provincial forestry agency Prie Supriyadi confirmed the presence of a mining company in Mandailing Natal, but said it was still engaged in prospecting.
"This company has secured a central government license to conduct prospecting activities, but we have yet to issue a permit allowing them to begin operations here. They cannot operate in protected forest, in fact," Supriyadi said.
He said he supported the students' demand, saying around one million hectares of protected forest in the province had been seriously damaged so far.