Govt urged to ban gold mining on S. Kalimantan?s protected forest

A South Kalimantan Dayak tribal group has urged the government to ban PT Meratus Sumber Mas from mining for gold on protected forest area, Kompas daily reported Friday.

?We oppose PT Meratus? plan to exploit the forest area although the central government had allowed it to do so,? said one member of the Dayak Meratus community after attending its congress in Banjarmasin.

Meratus Sumber Mas is a joint project of Australian junior miner Pelsrat Resources and Canadian miner Placer Dome, which is still at exploration stage.

About 750 people attended the four-day congress ending Thursday. The community group covers villagers living near the Meratus protected forest area in South Kalimantan?s Kotabaru regency.

Congress participants on Thursday marched to the South Kalimantan provincial council to air their demand.

The meeting recommended that no mining activity be allowed in the Meratus protected forest area. Congress participants claimed that the forest was their sacred place, and that their water sources were located in the area. (*)