NGOs threaten to occupy court over Newmont's case

Two non-governmental organizations (NGO) in North Sulawesi threatened to occupy the Tondano District Court if the court did not close down the gold mining operation of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya in three weeks, Manado Post reported.

Anton Howanso, head of the Youth Caring for Minahasa Development organization, and Wimpie Rawung, head of the Toulour organization, said on Wednesday they were disappointed by the fact the court did not close down Newmont's operation on Sunday as it initially scheduled due to the intervention the Supreme Court.

They lashed out at the Supreme Court for issuing an order for the district court to delay the closure of the gold mine.

"This is a insult to the supremacy of law. The judicature is no longer independent in this era of reforms," they said during a visit to the Manado Post's newsroom.

They said they did not take sides with either the Minahasa regency or Newmont in their tax dispute but they were only concerned with law supremacy.

Minahasa regency filed a lawsuit against Newmont in the Tondano District Court over a tax dispute and the court had issued a provisional ruling ordering Newmont to close down its gold mine in the Ratatotok area by Sunday.

But, Newmont has been operating normally as the deadline passed.

Both Howanso and Rawung gave 21 days for the Tondano District Court to close down the gold mine. If the court fails to do so, they said they would occupy the court.

"First, we shall go to the Tondano District Court to question it about the Supreme Court's letter. What is the content of the letter that it could affect the provisional ruling," they said.

It is unclear if both of them had been informed that both Minahasa regency and Newmont had reached an out-of-court settlement to their dispute. (*)