Illegal coal mining in South Kalimantan remains untouchable

Illegal coal mining in Senakin, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan remains untouchable and even continues to increase despite the local government?s commitment to issue a strong punishment against individuals and companies involved in the illegal mining activities.

Kompas reported on Tuesday that a number of partnership programs either launched by major coal producer such as PT Arutmin or cooperatives of the local police received no positive response from illegal miners.

Arutmin, for example, offers to buy coal from illegal miners but most still preferred to sell their production to certain companies which ship the coal products through the local ports to other provinces. The illegal coal miners are actually easy to find but no measures have been taken against their operation. The facilities which support their operation such as ports are also operated without proper permits.

The Kotabaru mining office and Arutmin said that they had reported the illegal coal mining activities to the police.

The chief of the South Kalimantan police Dodi Sumantyawan acknowledged the rampant illegal coal mining activities in the province but he said that the police still faced difficulties to deal with the illegal miners. "But we have already placed the fight against illegal miners as our main priority," he said. (*)