Action Alert from JATAM (Indonesian mining advocacy network)
Among London-listed mining companies active in Indonesia are Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Churchill Mining.
Support ANTI MINING DAY (HATAM) Commemoration, 29 May 2012
INDONESIAN SOVEREIGNTY WITHOUT MINING
RESTORE PEOPLES RIGHTS, AGAINST PUBLIC DECEPTION AND FORGETTING
Over the past few centuries the global mining companies have been plundering the Earth’s mineral wealth, leaving behind the hosting communities with worsening poverty, social breakdown and devastated environment. Thanks to the support of the State in their countries of origin, as well as the international financial institutions and the multilateral agencies, the giant mining corporations have managed to get richer amidst the rise of local rejection and devastating impacts. Today there has been a surge of peoples’ movement—inspired by social struggle in a large number of countries—to resist mining projects belong to mining companies—transnational and national. Asia and Latin America witness the emboldening of anti-mining movements.
Since the onset of the New Order regime all the way to the current post-reformasi era, the Government of Indonesia and the mining companies operating in the country have been brutally treating the people and the living environment, on the expense of the loss of sovereignty over mineral and hydrocarbon resources. The list of human rights violations and corruption in the mining sector is indeed quite extensive. To cite a few examples, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, inundated mining pits have taken tolls of many children. In Tojo Una-Una, Central Sulawesi, the operation of PT Ina Touna Mining killed the fish in community’s karamba (floating farm). Newmont has been allowed to pollute the Sumbawa Sea, West Nusa Tenggara, with 140,000 tonnes of tailings a day. Freeport McMoran/Rio Tinto pours 200,000 tonnes of tailings to Ajkwa river in Papua. The Bakrie group escaped prosecution for its coal mining tax evasion and for inundating the home to tens of thousand of people in Sidoarjo, East Java over the past six years with toxic mud from the underground blowout of PT Lapindo, its subsidiary.
The above portrait provides overwhelming evidence of the mining industry’s capacity to inflict irreversible damages, and of the rampant corruption in the sector. Hardly surprising, the mining industry continues to get privileged treatment from the Indonesian Government, including the ease of winning permit. As of this writing, there are 10,235 non-oil and gas mining permits, which comprise an area of more than sixty million hectare. Most of the minerals produced is for overseas consumption.
It is time for us to voice the injustice. Let’s join hand and support the anti-mining activists in thirty-three provinces for the anti-mining day, on Tuesday the 29th of May, 2012.
Since two years ago, the Anti-Mining Day (Hari Anti Tambang) has been commemorated in various manners. The people in Jambi, Bangka-Belitung, Aceh, Palembang, Bengkulu, Mandailing Natal-North Sumatra, Bandar Lampung, Sidoarjo-East Java, Samarinda-East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Obi Island-Maluku and Gorontalo, went to the street doing protest rally and theatrical performances. In South Kalimantan activists jumped on coal-loaded barge spreading Hari Anti Tambang banner. In Central and North Sulawesi the protests also organized open-mike stage. Whereas in Sumba the people occupied mining company’s drilling sites, in Sorong-Papua, the people commemorated the special day with an open public dialogue, while in Yogyakarta, the action encouraged the audiences to express solidarity through writings.
Let us speak out our demand for Indonesia’s sovereignty over her peoples’ sources of life. Vote for a dignified and sustainable economy. Sovereign Without Mining.
Support Hari Anti Tambang on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. We can act in many different ways to spell out loud: SAY NO TO MINING. RESPECT PEOPLES’ RIGHTS. FIGHT PUBLIC DECEPTION AND FORCED-FORGETTING.
What The Anti-Mining Day (HATAM) The Anti-Mining Day/Hari Anti Tambang (HATAM) is the commemoration of the anti-mining movement, organized on the 29th of May every year. The date coincided with the onset of the blow out at PT Lapindo’s drilling well, which has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of people who inhabited the area. The HATAM reminds the ever increasing violation of human rights by the Government and the mining companies, and the loss of state sovereignty over the country’s resources. The HATAM is also meant as a form of solidarity with citizens of Indonesia and the world over, whom continue the fight to defend the sources of life from the devastation of mining.
How to Get Involved & Support the HATAM? We can do it in any ways, such as the various manners in which communities in mining areas and their supporters declared their demand. The commemoration will take place on the 29th of May, 2012, on which at least thirty-three regions will get involved commemorating the HATAM.
Support HATAM commemoration by supporting the Declaration of Sovereignity Without Mining through: www. jatam.org or send SMS to JATAM- format: JATAM«space»Your Message, send it to 0812-1552-5506.
On 29 May, send your SMS to the President, Head of House of Representatives the following order: 1) Presiden +62 811119949 , 2) Head of House of Representatives +62 811715402, Let them know that Indonesia has been exploited, extracted, and sold cheaply. Peoples and environment are the victim. Ask them to support Indonesia Declaration of Sovereign without mining.
For further contact. Andre S wijaya +62 81294569623 email : jatam@jatam.org or www. jatam. org. FB: http://www.facebook.com/groups /346359268733773/