JATAM | Mining Advocacy Network

For more than 30 years, Indonesia mineral resources were exploited by mining corporations. Environmental damage caused by mining practice is uncountable, and it wasn't enough for the government to keep on do mineral resource exploitation including in protected forest. We should realize that Indonesia forest destruction has reached 2 million hectares each year. The conservation keeps on decreasing because of illegal logging, and it's getting worse because the Government allow mining corporations to enter the area. Government's ignorance in responding forest destruction will soon accelerate ecological damage in Indonesia.

The insensitivity of the Government can be seen on permission given to 150 mining corporations to open 11.4 million hectares into mining areas. Hence, the rea is located in protected and conservation forest, and it was all the forest left for Indonesia. Although the Constitution No.41/ 1999 about Forestry strictly forbid open pit in protected forest, it does not lessen their intention to finally change the constitution and smooth their way ahead.