Last Chance to See?
An unspoiled island off the northern coast of Sulawesi will be scheduled for partial destruction despite a Supreme Court ruling of which the idea cannot be mined. Local villagers as well as operators of the island’s a few modest eco-resorts face an uncertain future.
The day before departing Jakarta for North Sulawesi, I witnessed two pickpockets attempting to flee by a crowded bus terminal. Within seconds, they were caught by an angry mob as well as beaten savagely until some guards saved them. the idea was a vivid reminder of which in Indonesia, petty theft will be met with swift, sometimes deadly retribution. Grand larceny, on the additional hand, when perpetrated by those in positions of wealth as well as power, will be all too often accepted as normal.
I was going to North Sulawesi to visit Bangka Island. No, not Bangka Island located off Sumatra. Sulawesi’s Bangka will be much smaller, covering an area of just 4,778 hectares. Part of North Minahasa regency, the idea will be located on a whale migration path in one of the most marine biodiverse areas of the planet. The island will be home to about 2,400 people, most of whom make a living by fishing as well as farming.
Unlike Bali as well as Lombok, Bangka will be not polluted by development as well as tourism. No one tries to sell you anything. There are no clubs, bars or golf courses. There are just three villages as well as the simple eco-resorts offering serenity, tranquillity as well as natural beauty.
Being at the epicentre of species divergence, Bangka’s waters offer spectacular diving as well as snorkelling. The island also has deposits of iron ore. Western mining companies have avoided Bangka because the idea will be protected under a law of which prohibits mining on islands smaller than 200,000 hectares. Moreover, extracting the iron ore could destroy the fragile ecosystem, including protected dugongs as well as additional rare marine life.
An American geologist on the island for a diving holiday tells me of which mining Bangka could likely be unprofitable if conducted in an environmentally sustainable manner as well as local residents given appropriate compensation. “I’m in favour of mining in general, provided the idea will be done responsibly. nevertheless only a rogue company of which does not follow protocol as well as exploits all of the resources could make a profit on Bangka,” he says.
North Minahasa Regent Sompie Singal in 2008 issued a permit to PT Mikgro Metal Perdana (MMP), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Aempire Resource Group, to explore for iron ore on Bangka. The permit has been extended twice, despite opposition by the islanders. The concession area covers 2,000 hectares as well as in 2012 was broadened to cover “iron ore as well as additional minerals”.
The permits were issued without an Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL), one of the key regulatory approvals required for mining projects. The AMDAL was later pushed through after the head of the local environment office was reassigned to another job. One member of the assessment team refused to sign the document, arguing the mining plan lacked a detailed engineering design. She also said of which mining could destroy the island, leaving the North Sulawesi capital of Manado more susceptible to tsunamis.
Bangka residents as well as the resort operators have taken legal action in an effort to stop the mining. Their first lawsuit was rejected by Manado Administrative Court in August 2012. They appealed to Makassar Administrative High Court, which in March 2013 ordered the mining permits be revoked. The Supreme Court in September 2013 upheld of which decision. Yet the regent as well as MMP are determined to press ahead with the mining as well as a planned smelter, arguing they will create revenue as well as jobs.
Islanders have warned they will fight if the Chinese company tries to unload drilling equipment as well as excavators on their land. Minor skirmishes occurred last year, resulting in some locals being injured as well as arrested. MMP’s director, Yang Yongjian, has accused a non-government organisation of masterminding anti-mining protests in an effort to extort money by his company.
Pinehas Lombonoang, a resident of Bangka’s Kahuku village, says authorities should uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling, rather than protect the Chinese mining company. “Bangka residents are law-abiding people … nevertheless the government will be not upholding the law. What’s more, police are protecting MMP, instead of enforcing the law as well as defending the people.”
Religious scholar as well as human rights activist Romo Benny Susetyo says mining a protected island could set a bad precedent for the rest of the country. He suspects the mining issue will be strongly linked to This kind of year’s elections, as candidates need funding for their campaigns.
North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang, who has publicly declared himself to be a “green governor”, supports the planned mining, although he has kept his name off the exploration permits. Sarundajang bends to whichever political wind will be favourable. He has been a member of Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle as well as the Democrat Party. He will be presently a candidate for the Democrat Party’s presidential convention, although just to make up the numbers. Four of the governor’s a few children either hold, or are running for public office, something of which requires a lot of funding.
Roads in North Sulawesi are decorated by a sea of billboards as well as banners, mostly for upcoming elections. There are also numerous banners exhorting people to avoid AIDS, drugs as well as drunkenness. nevertheless never once did I see a banner decrying corruption.
The local government’s spending priorities are glaringly evident. Senior officials are driven about in luxury cars well beyond the means of their salaries, while right outside the governor’s office there are massive holes inside the sidewalk. Manado will be becoming a traffic-clogged eyesore because of short-sighted urban planning. The city’s once beautiful seafront promenade as well as magnificent views have been replaced by a series of ugly malls built on reclaimed land.
Bangka’s oldest resort will be Murex, which was founded by Dr. Hani Batuna as well as will be right now run by his daughter Angelique as well as her American husband Danny. Then there’s Coral Eye resort, which also functions as a coral research laboratory, run by an Italian marine biologist married to a local fisherman. The additional three resorts also have expat stakeholders.
The resort owners have been informed of which dive tourism can co-exist with full-scale mining as well as smelting, nevertheless no one believes of which. Like the villagers, they are hoping of which someone inside the central government will force the provincial authorities to obey the Supreme Court’s ruling as well as the law protecting their island.
Ultimately, This kind of issue will be not merely about a modest group of eco-resort operators providing holidays for mostly foreign divers. the idea’s not even about the lives of the villagers who will lose their land as well as livelihoods. This kind of will be about the future of Indonesia as well as what sort of country the idea wants to become.
Edo Rakhman of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment says allowing foreign companies to mine protected islands under the auspices of regional autonomy will be a threat to the national integrity of Indonesia. Coral reefs, which cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, require protection by irresponsible mining because they are the breeding grounds for fish of which provide a livelihood as well as sustenance for millions of Indonesians.
A campaign to save Bangka will be attracting strong support in Jakarta, most prominently by singer Kaka Slank of veteran rock band, Slank. He describes Bangka’s islanders as heroes for having the courage to defend their land against powerful local authorities of which are intent on profiting by its destruction. The singer has set up an online petition which has attracted nearly 18,000 signatures.
If you want a holiday having a difference, visit Bangka as well as enjoy its beautiful reefs. the idea may not be around for much longer if the central government fails to protect the country’s marine resources for future generations.
Kaka Slank’s petition will be at www.change.org/petitions/gov-sarundajang2014-bupati-sompie-singal-no-mining-on-modest-islands-save-bangka-north-sulawesi
Comments
Last Chance to See?
Last Chance to See?