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Mining, oil & gas

Petition against World Bank support for new nickel mine

DTE 84, March 2010

Indonesia's mining advocacy network JATAM is campaigning to stop World Bank support for a nickel and cobalt mine which will destroy forests and livelihoods on Halmahera Island, eastern Indonesia. The following report is extracted from a petition opposing Bank support, and other JATAM sources.

The controversial nickel and cobalt mining project is being developed by PT Weda Bay - a venture involving French, Japanese and Indonesian companies.

Coal in East Kalimantan: taking the toxic tour

Down to Earth No.84, March 2010

In February of this year, at the invitation of JATAM (the Indonesian Mining Advocacy Network) and JATAM Kaltim (JATAM East Kalimantan), DTE staff member Andrew Hickman went to see for himself the effects of coal mining in and around Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

Indigenous rights in West Kalimantan revisited

Down to Earth No.84, March 2010

An interview with Erma Ranik


In 2003 we interviewed Erma Ranik for the DTE newsletter. At the time, Erma, a volunteer for the indigenous peoples' alliance in West Kalimantan (AMA Kalbar), was in London on a series of mini-internships facilitated by DTE, as part of a joint programme with the national indigenous peoples' alliance, AMAN.

Seven years on, Erma now sits in the DPD (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah - the Regional Representatives Council) and lives partly in Jakarta and partly in West Kalimantan. DTE got in touch to ask how things have changed.

Marine resources for climate justice

Down to Earth No.83, December 2009

The following is an abridged translation of an Indonesian-language article by M. Riza Damanik and Abdul Halim.1

More copper and gold mines for Papua?

Down to Earth No.82, September 2009

At least three Australian mining exploration companies have released information recently about their activities in Papua, raising concerns over the potential for more serious human rights and environmental impacts for the local population and their livelihoods.

In brief...DTE 82, September 2009

Down to Earth No.82, September 2009

More deaths at Freeport-Rio Tinto mine in Papua

More violence near the Freeport-Rio Tinto copper and gold mine in West Papua resulted in three deaths - two Freeport employees and a police officer - in July. Police arrested seven people: two of them worked at the company's Grasberg mine. More shots were fired at a bus carrying the mine's employees in August, with one incident leaving five people injured.

Rio Tinto under fire from all sides

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

A report from Rio Tinto's AGM in London, April 2009, attended by DTE.


This hasn't been a very good year for Rio Tinto. The UK-based mining multinational is facing growing criticism, not just from established critics of the company's operations in places like Grasberg, the huge copper and gold mine in West Papua.