NGOs urge House to disallow mining on protected forests

A group of non-governmental organizations (NGO) on Monday urged the House of Representatives (DPR) not to fulfill the government?s request to allow mining operations in protected forest areas, Republika daily reported.

The NGOs, eight in all including WWF Indonesia, Walhi, Jatam, ICEL and Mineral Policy Institute, said in a joint statement that DPR should first listen to community groups before deciding whether mining in protected forest areas could be allowed.

?Presently, our forests are in a very critical condition after being exploited by forests concessionaires, large-scale plantation owners and illegal loggers, and because of forest fire,? WWF Indonesia?s executive Nur Amalia said after the NGO group read out their statement.

The government had asked for House?s approval to allow 22 miners to resume their projects on protected forests. Earlier last month, DPR approved the government?s plan to allow at least six mining operations in forest areas including PT Weda Bay Nikel and PT Nusa Halmahera (in Maluku province), PT Gag Nikel (Papua), PT Galuh Cempaka (South Kalimantan) and PT Jorong Barutama (Papua).

The current forestry law, Law No. 41/1999 which was issued in 1999, bans open pit mining in protected forest areas. The law affected 150 mining projects. (*)