Traditional mining activities in Banyumas stopped

At least 40 traditional miners from Cihonje district in Banyumas regency, Central Java met the local regent, Aris Setiyono on Wednesday to complain over the banning of their gold mining activities.

The traditional miners said that they had to stop their mining activities after several men, who claimed themselves as representatives PT Muspika Gumelar and PT Harlan Bekti, forced them to leave the mining site, Suara Pembaruan reported.

The two companies claimed that they owned the mining sites where the traditional miners have carried out their digging for years. They also claimed to have obtained government permits to carry out gold mining operation on the site.

Sumaryo, the coordinator of the traditional miners, said that the mining areas are owned by the traditional miners, who mostly got the property from their parents. "It's really unfair when you are banned from doing some thing in your own land, " he said. But the newspaper did not report the outcome of the traditional miners' meeting with the regent. (*)