Wahyoe Boediwardhana – The East Java Police have deployed two platoons of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to a gold mining concession area in Gunung Tumpang Pitu, Pesanggaran district, Banyuwangi, in response to growing tensions between locals and the mining company.
East Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rachmat Mulyana, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the deployment was conducted according to the law. "They will not be withdrawn. They are there to protect citizens asking for protection," he said.
The response comes after days of protests and violence involving locals who have demanded that mining activities be stopped, citing environmental concerns.
On Wednesday, thousands of protesters flocked to the office of mining company PT IMN in Pancer village, Pesanggaran, demanding the company leave the regency because it was damaging the environment and creating unrest among locals.
They also demanded the withdrawal of the Brimob, accusing them of having brazenly shot at two local people on July 29. Suroto of Ringin Agung, Pesanggaran, was shot in the leg, and both hands, and Hermawan of Bogor, was shot in the hand. Hermawan later escaped from the hospital where he was being treated over fears he would be arrested.
On July 28, unknown persons set fire to the company's employee dormitory and some mining equipment, included a drill and a diesel generator. Total losses from the fires were estimated at Rp 1 billion (US$117,000).
Rachmat said it was up to the courts and not locals to decide whether PT IMN was violating the law. The police, he said, would not involve themselves in the dispute. "As long as its license is still effective and has not been revoked, PT IMN deserves the same right to receive protection from the police," he said.
He said that he suspected that local residents wanted to obtain licenses from the local authority so that they could mine the gold themselves. "If they had a license, there would be no reason for the police to act against them," he said.
Rachmat, who is a former Banyuwangi Police chief, said he knew what was really going on in the mining area, and that this included the involvement of some irresponsible government institutions, but did not elaborate. He said he hoped the Banyuwangi Police would take stern action against anyone caught mining illegally.
Rosdi Bahtiar of the Banyuwangi Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) said conflicts between local people, miners and state institutions would continue unless the Forestry Ministry and the regency administration restored the initial function of Mount Tumpang Pitu as "protector" of the forest.