Manganese mining destroys West Timor

The West Nusa Tenggara provincial government has instructed communities in West Timor to discontinue illegal manganese mining activities, citing the serious damage caused by the activities on the environment, Kompas Daily reported on Friday.

The local people, however, have paid little attention to the instruction.

?Local people are still surrpetitiously cooperating with businesspeople to carry out the mining activities,? Yohannes Bria, the head of the province's mining and energy office, said.

Surveys by the Indonesian Environmental Advocacy Forum (Walhi) shows that the most affected areas include Sulamu and Amfoang (Kupang), Haliwen (Belu) and Naioni (Kupang).

Even, the manganese miners have even encroached on uncontrollably exploited protected forest areas, sacred forest areas and natural reserves, according to Yohannes. (*)