Norman Harsono, Jakarta – Eight civil society organizations plan to mobilize grassroots support in challenging the controversial new Mining Law passed on Tuesday by the House of Representatives in a judicial review.

Coalition spokesman Arip "Yogi" Yogiawan said on Wednesday that coalition members were "still open" to challenging the revised law at the Constitutional Court after amassing public support.

"We don't have many other options except mobilizing people who will be potential victims, in any aspect. We will turn them into actors of change in revoking the revised law," said Yogi, who also heads the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation's (YLBHI) campaign.

Aside from the YLBHI, the coalition includes Greenpeace, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Association of People's Emancipation and Ecological Action (AEER), Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Publish What You Pay (PWYP), AURIGA Nusantara and the Mining and Advocacy Network (JATAM).

The revised mining law introduces broad-stroke changes to grow one of Indonesia's most economically significant industries. Mining accounts for 7 percent of the economy, over 14 percent of exports, 2 percent of non-tax state revenue (PNBP) and around 1 percent of employment.

However, many revisions put at risk the natural environment, communities living around mining pits, regional autonomy and foreign investments, sources told The Jakarta Post.

Activists lambasted the House of Representatives for not giving time for many stakeholders, including civil groups, foreign investors and regents, to scrutinize the revised Mining Law.

House members publicly released a finalized 92 page-long draft bill on Monday before approving it the following day.

"We need to be the antithesis of an unparticipative House," added Yogi.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/05/14/watchdog-alliance-to-challenge-new-mining-law.html