JATAM | Mining Advocacy Network

Since the age of one year old Mr. Alang has brought by his parents moved from Pinrang- South Sulawesi to Sangata. Furthermore, in 1982, when he was 14 years old, he moved again to follow his parents into Sepaso, Bengalon district, East Kutai. 

In the same year, PT Kaltim Prima Coal (PT KPC), the largest coal mines in Southeast Asia, has just signed Coal Mining Concession Works Agreement (PKP2B) from Indonesia authoritarian government, on that period under General Suharto order.

Mr. Ruslan Testimonials, Bengalon- East Kalimantan. 

Since the age of one year old Mr. Alang has brought by his parents moved from Pinrang- South Sulawesi to Sangata. Furthermore, in 1982, when he was 14 years old, he moved again to follow his parents into Sepaso, Bengalon district, East Kutai. 



 

In the same year, PT Kaltim Prima Coal (PT KPC), the largest coal mines in Southeast Asia, has just signed Coal Mining Concession Works Agreement (PKP2B) from Indonesia authoritarian government, on that period under General Suharto order.



 

Mr. Alang became one of the witnesses on how PT KPC mines destructive power against the citizen’s livelihoods and the surrounding environment. 



 

One of them is dayak basap indigenous people condemnation. There are about 20 dayak Basap families in tebangan Lemba, the Bengalon district, who chose to move in 1995 because those region began to busy. PT KPC on that time began its mining exploration since 1992. Eventually these people moved to KM 10 which the distance about 15 miles away from there. 


There is also dayak basap tribe who lived in Sigading, hilly region of Bengalon River upstream or Lemba River upstream, the Karaitan River. They lived from hunting, taking of forest yield and plant fields’ rice. Initially, they settled on the east side of Karaitan River. In 2005, the entire dayak Basap family, about 40 families must moved to the west side of Karaitan River. Their land, will be a hole dug of pit A. 



 

But again they will be evicted, moved to Sepaso Timur village, a distance of 30 kilometers from those region. Their land will turn into Pit B dug hole. Next year PT KPC will increase its production from 38.4 million tons per year to 70 million tons. The company has 90,960 ha mining concession area in the district of Bengalon and Sengata, East Kutai, East Kalimantan.

 



Formerly, this mining shares owned by British Petroleum International Ltd. (BP) and Conzinc Rio Tintoof Australia Ltd (Rio Tinto). Today, one of the minister, Abu Rizal Bakrie, who took over those majority shares in the year 2003, have it through PT Bumi resources as much as 65 percent, TATA Power from Indone around 30 percent, and the remaining 5 percent is belong to Kutai Timur Energi. 



 

PT KPC gives not much benefit for the energy fulfillment in Sangata and Bengalon. "From morning until late afternoon, the electricity in Sepaso die" said Mr. Alang. Eventhough Electricity in East Kutai generally byar pet (on-off). But PT KPC remains secure. They have their own power plant - Tanjung Bara PLTU, Which in the area of 1.8 ha. Every day this power plant requires 96 tons of coal, 120 thousand liters of fresh water to supply the boiler, and at least 302,400 liters of seawater for the cooling. And the result is 2.3 Ton Fly Ash waste (Fly Ash) and Basic Ash 1.5 Tons per day. 



 

KPC coal production is also not much enjoyed by the country. Because from 38.4 million tons, about 93 percent are exported, respectively to Chile, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, China, the Netherlands. 



 

"Electricity crisis becomes a norm things”, said Mr. Alang. But the remarkable change due to PT KPC mine is the condition of water. 



 

Pit A excavation, in October 2005 produced a disaster.

 

The pit A locations is located in the upstream of Sekerat and Bengalon river. When the upstream dug, major flooding occurred in late of 2005. The flood that used to occur in 2-year with a calf in height, now reach 3 times a year. At that moment there are 3 villages and 1,500 houses submerged, never happened before. 



 

"When I was 15 years old, I could see the bottom of Bengalon River from the edge, but now b is can not. Even in the rainy season the river is muddy. White fish, shrimp, sea fish (otek) fish and Marsapi (Indonesian longfinned eel) also started rare. " Said Mr Alang, 



 

"Last month, there were two Estuary crocodiles that up to Sekerat village, it had never happened before, because they live in the downstream, the swamp near the sea, probably because the julaia downstream is not comfortable so make them move, he added.

 



Damaged River makes the citizen can not rely on the river again for all the daily activities including drinking water. Water tank seen lined in the Sekerat village. They used to drink from the Sekerat River, unfortunately this river water has drastically decrease in the dry season. Now they rely on the tank which its water supplied by PT KPC, and even then sometimes erratic. 



 

For women, the damage of rivers is disastrous. For drinking water they need to find fresh water with a distance of 2 kilometer much further than before. Or they forced to use dirty water which having risk to interfere their health. 



 

Not only that, said Mr. Alang, social problems arise in a shift including problems at home. Today, Bengalon known have the highest divorce rate than Sangata, the county town of East Kutai regency. The number could reach 10 divorces per month. Generally is because the adultery case with migrants.

 



"There are more social problems caused by coal dust. People with respiratory infection now in the first ranks of dominant diseases that suffered by citizens, especially after the presence of PT KPC. Followed by the lungs and hypertension patients ', added Mr Alang.