Yusril: PT Timah agrees to purchase tin sand from community miners
From the meeting earlier, it was agreed that PT Timah is permitted to continue purchasing tin from the community, which can then be re-stocked by PT Timah.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said PT Timah Tbk has agreed to temporarily purchase tin sand produced by community miners in Bangka Belitung.
The agreement was reached during a cross-sector coordination meeting with the Bangka Belitung Provincial Government, the East Belitung Regency Government, and PT Timah, facilitated by the Coordinating Ministry for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections in Jakarta on Tuesday.
“From the meeting earlier, it was agreed that PT Timah is permitted to continue purchasing tin from the community, which can then be re-stocked by PT Timah,” said Yusril.
In making the decision, Yusril said the government listened to the views of Deputy Attorney General Asep Nana Mulyana and Head of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Muhammad Ateh, who attended the coordination meeting.
According to him, the policy is temporary in nature to keep the situation in the Bangka Belitung region safe and under control.
“Because this addresses a specific situation in the region that must be resolved immediately. And therefore PT Timah, with its existing reserve funds, can purchase tin circulating in the community that is produced by the people,” he said.
The meeting also agreed to form a small team led by Deputy Minister of Law Otto Hasibuan to formulate policy steps and legal aspects for PT Timah in purchasing tin circulating in the community.
“This will continue until the completion of the presidential regulation related to tin matters,” said Yusril.
The cross-sector coordination meeting with the Bangka Belitung regional government and PT Timah was held following the unrest that occurred in East Belitung on 8 August 2026.
The three-hour meeting was chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, and was attended by the Deputy Attorney General, the Head of BPKP, representatives from the Presidential Staff Office, the Director General of Legislation at the Ministry of Law, the Regent of Bangka Belitung, the Regent of East Belitung, the Regent of Belitung, the President Director of PT Timah, and members of the Bangka Belitung Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).
“The government is very serious about monitoring developments in the regions. The incident last week on Belitung Island, including the burning of the PT Timah office,” he said.
He said the meeting was a form of central government attention to the tin mining issues in Belitung as well as an effort to find a joint solution.
“The government is very concerned about this issue and is united in seeking solutions to the problems we face together,” he said.
Previously, unrest occurred when community tin sand miners staged a protest at PT Timah’s operational office in Gantung District, East Belitung Regency.
In the protest, the community demanded that PT Timah resume purchasing tin sand from community miners after purchases had stalled for several weeks.
The protest was then marred by unrest. The crowd burned a number of items until the fire spread to the PT Timah unit building.
Fire engines that arrived at the scene also became targets of the crowd’s anger.