Newmont should be responsible

Unlike Jakarta-based media, newspapers published in Manado seemed to be more supportive to the local government in its legal fight against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, which last week received an order from the Tondano district court to shut down its gold mine in the Minahasa regency over tax dispute.

Manado Post, for example, carried at least two stories on Monday, demanding the central government to stay away from the court's proceedings and to allow the court to further continue with its fair trial against the mine company, which had not only refused to pay taxes, but had also caused a destruction in the environment.

The newspaper carried non-government organization Walhi's statement, asking the central government not to give a blind support to the mine company. The environmental organization said that Newmont deserved to receive the punishment for what it had done on the environment on its mine site.

According to Walhi, Newmont should not the only party that should be responsible for its mistake because the Contract of Work signed by the company and the central government did not contain a clear-cut clause, which required the company to carry out land rehabilitation after the mining process.

Besides Walhi, several other NGOs also gave their comment on the court's order to temporarily close down Newmont's gold mine. But several of them seemed to receive a wrong message, as if the planned closure of the gold mine voluntarily came from Newmont itself.

JATAM, also non-governmental organization focusing on its activities on mining operation, for example, said it supported Newmont's decision to shut down its mine. "Newmont's readiness to close down its mine is another good example of how we should respect the court," it said in its press statement as carried by Manado Pos. (*)