Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Environmental activists staged a protest Saturday against gold mining operations in Tanggamus regency, asserting that the illegal mining had damaged the protected Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park.
Lampung Forest Watch director Joko Santoso alleged that the gold mining, conducted by PT Natarang Mining, was located at the border of the park and one of the sections was inside the park.
The mining, he said, might worsen illegal logging as well as threaten the habitat of wildlife in the park.
"The exploited areas include a wild elephant route. Their habitat is under constant threat of rapid deforestation. If the gold mining continues, the elephants will damage more plantations," Joko said on Saturday.
The park's head, Tamen Sitorus, said the company did not have a permit from the Forestry Ministry to conduct mining in the area.
The company received a permit from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry last year to conduct the early phase of its mining operation, but it did not have permit to conduct activities or clear land in the national park from the Forestry Ministry or the local administration.
He said the company's agreement with the Indonesian government spanned 30 years, from 2004-2034, covering 12,790 hectares with 12 exploration points. One of the points is inside the park, Tamen said. "The decree from the energy and mineral resources minister was issued without the knowledge of the local administration," he said.
Head of Lampung Forestry Office, Arinal Junaidi, said the company first started exploration in 1986 but then stopped in 1997 during the reform area. It resumed activity in 2004 and now its area of operation covers around 900 hectares of land in the national park. "Probably, the exploration permit was given for 40 hectares of land in protected forest, not within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park," Arinal said.
He said that the fact that the company did not have a permit from the Forestry Ministry meant it had to stop exploration. "They're not only conducting a survey and exploration but they have built a helipad, meaning it has entered the exploitation phase and that is prohibited," Arinal said.
Meanwhile, company subcontractor Dodi Mahyudi said it would take another two months before the company would be ready to begin mining.
Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P. said that the administration had instructed the related local government offices to stop the mining activities if the company had violated regulations.
The company's chief engineer, Muhammad Amin, said it had received a permit from energy and mineral resources minister, which would allow the company to mine in the area from Sept. 1, 2004 to Aug. 31, 2034. He said the company was just in the construction phase, although it had received a permit to start production in 2004.