Indonesian President, maritime minister and the Supreme Court are too weak to stop a Chinese mining company to operate illegally on a small island protected in northern Sulawesi. Unchecked environmental destruction sets a dangerous model for the future of the nation.
What do you do when your country has some of the finest and areas rich in marine biodiversity of the planet, able to provide food and jobs for millions people? If you are a local government official in North Sulawesi province, you have a license illegal destruction of this natural wealth for financial gain in the short term. And despite the nationalist rhetoric of fire against aliens who take the wealth of Indonesia, you bring in a Chinese company to do the dirty work.
This is the fate of the island of Bangka, located northeast of the provincial capital Manado. The island is part of North Minahasa regency and covers only 4778 hectares. It is home to about 2,400 people, most of them living from fishing, agriculture and tourism. The island should not be confused with more experienced Bangka Indonesian island off the southeastern coast of Sumatra.
Bangka Island Sulawesi. Photo courtesy of Fabio Achilli
misfortunes of Bangka began in 2008 when the Regent of North Minahasa, Sompie Singal, has issued a permit to PT Mikgro Metal Perdana (MMP), a subsidiary of the group Aempire resources of China, to explore for iron ore on the island, despite the opposition of the local population. A broader license was published in 2012, although mining is prohibited on the smaller islands that 200,000 hectares of Law No. 27/2007 on the management of coastal areas and small islands.
Local residents, supported by conservation groups and operators of five small eco-resorts of Bangka, continued Sompie on illegal permits. They won. The Supreme Court in 2013 upheld the decision of a lower court that licenses should be revoked. Sompie challenged the verdict. He lost, but continued the mining project.
In July 2014, then-Mines and Energy Minister Jero Wacik in - which was then forced to resign and arrested as a suspect of corruption - MMP issued a license to operate on Bangka. Locals said. East Jakarta District Court in July 2015 decided the illegal mining license and ordered that it be revoked. Sompie ignored the decision. Police in North Sulawesi, which are under the direction Wilmar Marpaung Brigadier General, refuse to implement the decision. Instead, officers from the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) the riot police guarding the MMP facilities on Bangka.
You may think: Indonesia has more than 17,500 islands, so what difference does it make if a small island is extracted? This makes a huge difference, because such blatant disregard for the law bodes disaster for the country's future. There is nothing smart about generating wealth for a foreign company and its local political bosses by unsustainable, illegal exploitation of natural resources. Future generations will be left with pollution, destruction and poverty inheritance. Nevertheless, Indonesia has 13.466 islands, like many of those counted in the 17,500 count are submerged during high tide, so are not considered islands.
tip the balance
The high profile opponent of the mining project Bangka most is a man named Akhadi Wira Satriaji, better known to millions of Indonesians as Kaka Slank legendary singer rock band Slank. This band has been credited with securing the election of Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo as president. In early July 2014, when it looked as former general Prabowo Subianto would be propelled to the presidency of his well-organized and well-funded campaign, Slank staged a massive show of support for Jokowi with a free concert attended by about 75,000 people in Jakarta. Taking place just four days before the election, he received national coverage and proved to be a turning point that tipped the balance in favor of return of Jokowi, who won with only 53 percent of the vote.
Jokowi Slank was extremely grateful and still has the occasional encounter with the group. So it was not surprising that the president had the Secretariat of State in April issue an official letter to the home affairs of the Ministry, ordering him to face Sompie distrust of the decision of the Court supreme. Maritime and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti have also sent an official letter asking the Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said to stop the MMP activities. These letters have proved to be worthless. North Sulawesi officials use the powers of regional autonomy to justify to do as they please, in violation of national laws and court decisions.
head of the National Police Commissioner General Badrodin Haiti has failed to take action against Sompie and MMP. Last year, when Badrodin was the deputy chief of police, he met with Kaka Slank and Bangka, saying that the police would take action if Bangka is extracted without permission.
Photo courtesy of Save Bangka Island
Mining has not yet begun, but residents fear it will begin soon, now that MMP built most of its supporting infrastructure, including a port, conveyor belts and staff quarters.
After the business license was found to be illegal, MMP has slowed its operations and laid off Indonesian workers, while Chinese staff remain on the island. "The court's decision does not mean anything," says a dive center operator. "The local government acts as if nothing happened in court."
Construction of the damaged harbor reefs MMP, destroyed mangroves and created significant sedimentation. Visibility in some spectacular dive sites previously increased from 30 meters to only 10 meters.
the company even once damaged food clean source of water for the town of Kahuku, which is opposed to the operation from the start. the villagers now rely on a small spring that produces brackish water. They are dismayed that no one in power has the political will or influence to enforce the law.
Coral Triangle
Bangka is located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, home to over 75 percent all known marine species on the planet and a global conservation priority. The area roughly triangular includes part of sea waters of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. As part of the Coral Triangle Initiative, Indonesia is committed to the conservation of marine biodiversity, but the government's inability to protect coral reefs Bangka made a mockery of that commitment.
In addition to the Coral Triangle, Indonesia is committed to commercial maritime development called Special Economic Zone Bitung. The Bitung port city is located on the south shore of the northern tip of North Sulawesi. Meanwhile, there is an island called Lembeh, while to the north is Bangka.
North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang said Chinese businesspersons have agreed to invest Rp.35 billion ($ 2.46 billion) in the special economic zone Bitung to develop infrastructure, as well as the treatment of fishing, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries. Once completed, the economic zone will become an important hub of trade between Indonesia and China, and the largest container terminal in eastern Indonesia.
Part of the project is the planned development of up to 241 hectares of coastal waters. Ecologist Robin Marinos, founder of the Earth Advocates group and an occasional visitor to Bangka, said reclamation destroyed coral reefs and other marine species, "for the financial benefit of private investors and their political bosses."
If North Sulawesi MMP was expelled for his illegal activities, such an action may compromise the investment deals in Bitung game with China. Or it can simply send a signal to play by the rules.
Is there hope to save Bangka? May be. Indonesia will hold local elections on December 9. Sompie is standing for re-election as a candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) - the same party as Jokowi. There is a chance he may lose his popular predecessor, Vonny Panambunan, an ex-convict of corruption is now with the Great Indonesia Movement Party of Prabowo (Gerindra). Residents say Bangka has a better chance of being saved if Vonny wins, although his corruption case does not inspire great confidence.
Angelique Batuna, which manages Murex resort of Bangka, Bangka described as a gift from God that needs no other work, the only mining. "The island is beautiful with white sand beaches, mangroves, endemic species. The marine life is simply amazing. Tourists from Europe, Asia and the United States are traveling more than 20 hours to come enjoy it. all we have to do is take care of it. "