Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – People living in and around mining operations find it difficult to obtain their rights. Aside from governments which don’t really care, they are also confronted by militarism.

This was explained by the coordinator of the Mining Advocacy Network (Jaringan Advokasi Tambang, Tatam), Siti Maemuna, in a discussion titled “Learning from the Buyat case, what position should the environment movement take” at the Uhamka auditorium on Jalan Limau II in South Jakarta on Tuesday August 10.

“PT Freeport for example, they spend 50 billion rupiah per year for security personnel to guard their mining operations. If local people have a problem [with the company] straight away they are confronting the military or police”, said Maemunah.

Furthermore, Maemuna is asking the government to pay more concern to environmental cases. One of these being the case which occurred in Minahasa which it is suspected involves PT Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR).

“So far the government [just] doesn’t care and has even allowed problems to surface. PT NMR has not fulfill the requirements specified in the disposal of mine tailings yet the government has done nothing”, said Maemunah. (djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]