Unrestrained mining endangering forests

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A coalition of environmental groups here urged the government to withdraw licenses given to mining companies that plan to operate in around one-fifth of the country's protected forests and conservation areas.

The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also blasted the mining companies for their efforts to force the government to change several regulations in order to legalize their operations.

"They have urged the government to revise Law No. 41/1999 on forestry which has hampered their investment. They want the status of the forests to be changed from protected forests into forest concessions," Chalid Muhammad from the Network of Advocacy for People's Mines (JATAM) told a media briefing last week.

Chalid did not reveal the names of those mining companies.

The mining companies have threatened to sue Indonesia through an international arbitrator should the government refuse to open the 11.4 million hectares of protected forest for new operations in Sumatra, Jawa, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara islands, Maluku islands and Irian Jaya. Around 150 mining companies have explored the area.

Longgena Ginting of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) pointed out the current mining sites have reached more than 35 percent of Indonesia's mainland and have largely responsible for environmental destruction in the country.

The endangered areas include protected forest in Gag-Papua island, Poboya-Paneki forest in Central Sulawesi and Meru Betiri National Park in Jember, East Java. -- JP