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Newsletter articles

DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

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DTE publications

In brief... DTE 78 - August 2008

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

Posthumous award for indigenous leader

Bapak Raja J.P. Rahail, an indigenous leader from the Kei islands in eastern Indonesia was posthmously awarded the Asia Indigenous Peoples Prize at a meeting of Asian indigenous groups in July. He was praised for his role in strengthening indigenous institutions and for his handling of conflict in the area.

MSM mine: community opposition continues as investor backs out

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

The Australia and UK - listed company, Archipelago Resources, is continuing preparations to mine gold in North Sulawesi, despite strong local opposition - both from communities and the provincial governor.

Multinational corporations lining up to profit from West Papua's resources

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

Another year, another set of record profits from West Papua's mineral resources.

The Westminster conference centre just alongside the UK's Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey seem a long way away from the frontier town of Timika or, for that matter, the prawn fisherfolk of Bintuni Bay in West Papua. However, each year this is the scene of the Annual General Meeting of Rio Tinto PLC, a 40% joint venture stakeholder in the expanded Grasberg mine in the highlands of West Papua.

Mining news in brief

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

 

New regulation means cheap forests for mining

A new government regulation on non-tax income from forest areas has caused outrage among NGOs by setting low prices for the use of forests by mining companies and other non-forestry sector users.

The regulation - PP 2/2008 - sets the rate for mining in protection forests from Rp 2,250,000 - Rp3 million (around US$240-320) per hectare per year. In production forests, the rate is Rp 1.8 million - 2.4 million (around US$192 - 255) per year.

Newmont case verdict - blow for communities and environment

Down to Earth No. 73, May 2007


The decision of a North Sulawesi court to find the US-based mining company, Newmont, not guilty of polluting the environment is a huge disappointment for NGOs and communities who have been struggling for years to hold this multinational gold mining company to account.


The Manado Court in North Sulawesi - the province where the now-closed Ratatotok gold mine was located - came up with its verdict on April 24th.

North Sulawesi confronts Jakarta over MSM gold mine plans

Down to Earth No. 72 March 2007

The Toka Tindung gold mine project is now in doubt after strong opposition to Meares Soputan Mining's plans to build an open pit gold mine in a sensitive coastal area and dump mine waste into Rinondoran Bay.

A major blow came when an environmental hearing in August 2006 forced the company to alter its plans to instead use the more expensive option of disposal of tailings on land.

A nuclear future?

Down to Earth No. 72 March 2007

The Indonesian government is putting in place arrangements to develop its highly controversial nuclear power programme - starting with a reactor on the Muria peninsula in densely populated Central Java.

In December 2006, Indonesia made an agreement with South Korea which paves the way for cooperation on Indonesia's nuclear power programme.