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Illegal gold, coal mining costing Indonesia

BENGKULU - Illegal gold mining in 13 provinces and illegal coal mining in three provinces costs Indonesia an average of Rp3.3 trillion (US$388 million) each year, a government official said.

"The losses exclude environmental destruction, pollution and other forms of damage whose impacts are far greater than the material losses," said Muzani Syukur, the chairman of a team in charge of implementing Presidential Decree No 25/2001 on eradicating illegal mining, fuel oil abuse and electric power theft.

Muzani said the widespread illegal mining activities were inseparable from the reform euphoria, weak law enforcement and state officials' poor performance.

The reform euphoria has caused more and more people to have the courage to engage in illegal mining and demand their rights over mining businesses in their areas, he said, adding that it was impossible for the government to take stern measures against illegal miners because many people were involved in illegal mining activities.

"Around 75,000 people currently engage in illegal mining. If each of them has four family members to feed, will we take action against all of them?" he said. It is their backers that must be sternly dealt with, he added.

(Asia Pulse/Antara)

Dec 18, 2003

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