Efforts made by activists to obstruct mining projects in North Sulawesi due to their negative environmental impacts have been made increasingly difficult by the issuance of new licenses in the sector by local governments.
Head of North Sulawesi Energy and Mineral Resources Agency, Marly Gumalag, said that as of March 2015, 145 mining licenses (IUP) had been issued by regency, city and provincial administrations.
“They are spread in 12 out of North Sulawesi’s 15 regencies and cities, covering a combined area of 403,000 hectares,” Marly said.
Only three regions in North Sulawesi province are currently free of mining concessions, namely Sitaro regency, Kotamobagu city and Manado city.
Of the 145 licenses issued, according to Marly, 63 have been allocated for stone-mining activities, 60 for gold mining, and the rest for iron sand, manganese, nickel and iron ore.
Flora Kalalo from Sam Ratulangi University (Unsrat) Manado has blamed the environmental damage in the province on the numerous mining licenses issued by the local administration, many of which were illegal.
“Still, licenses continue being issued. Why? because its money doing the talking,” said the environmental law expert.
As an example, Flora pointed to the licenses handed out to mining companies on Bangka Island, East Likupang district, North Minahasa regency.
Flora said Bangka Island was a small island where mining was prohibited, but that the licenses were given out anyway.
“When money interferes in the name of investment, then many rules are put aside. The result is damage to the environment,” said Flora, who is also Unstrat’s deputy rector overseeing administration and finance.
In recent months, locals have staged regular demonstrations against mining in the province.
On Tuesday, for example, dozens of people from Buyat subdistrict, East Bolaang Mongondow (Boltim) regency, filed a complaint against a mining company with the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Manado.
A local representative for Buyat, Alfian Lasabuda, said mining had damaged the environment and created social divisions.
“People are now divided into two groups: those who are against and those who are for the mining. In such a situation, horizontal conflicts can just pop up, both mentally and physically,” Alfian said.
Alfian urged the Boltim administration to respond to the situation by siding with the people whose communities were being divided by the mining interests.
