Ban Mining in Poboya-Paneki Forest Park Now

Ban Mining in Poboya-Paneki Forest Park Now!

Press Release from Aliansi Balengga Ntodea Kambuno - KAMUST- SPRA - JATAM - WALHI

At the moment, the Kambuno mountain ecosystem in Central Sulawesi is experiencing a serious threat because of the gold mining plans of PT Citra Palu Mineral (PT CPM). PT CPM has dug up forty sites within the Poboya-Paneki Forest Park area during exploration activities.

PT CPM's mining plans clearly do not take into account ecological and social impacts that will result with their mining activities in the forest area. Seven communities that reside around the Forest Park area as well as the citizens of the nearby city of Palu will suffer these impacts.

The Eastern Mountains of Palu city, the Poboya Paneki area also called the Kambuno Mountains by the communities that live in and around this area, carry a special significance for the communities as well as for the citizens of the city of Palu.

The Kambuno mountain area is a water catchement area and serves an important hydrological function, providing a source of life for the local community. The communities are also able to gather forest products and grow crops in this area. The area is also supplier of water and meets the needs of the citizens of the city of Palu. The Kambuno mountain area is also rich in flora and fauna that is rare and protected like the dwarf buffalo (Bubalus sp), cockatoo (Cacatua sulphu-rea sp), brown eagle (Elanus hypolaneus), flora species like Santalum Album, Anthocephalus and others.

Gold mining in this area will, without a doubt, destroy water resources and biodiversity, contaminate the environment, cut of the access of the community to forest resources and cause permanent poverty for the local community.

The conditions of the earth of the island of Sulawesi other than being mineral rich, also possess great natural wealth that is being threatened by earthquakes, tsunami, floods, landslides and erosion.

All these phenomenons have and are still occurring, the Palu-Koro major fault stretches from north to south throughout the city of Palu and is an earthquake zone that must be given attention and should be considered before planning a mega-project like that planned by Rio Tinto.

For the above reasons, we do not want :

a. The Palu valley to become a column for tailing waste.
b. Social conflicts to occur in the city of Palu.
c. The structure and culture of the Palu community to be destroyed because of a mega-project that only benefits a few elite people and foreign people.
d. A repeat of ecological destruction and human rights violation cases which has already occurred at the Rio Tinto owned PT. KEM site in East Kalimantan, Freeport in West Papua, Newmont in Minahasa and other such cases that have occurred in the valley of Palu.

Because of this, we, various components of the community concerned about the environment and future generations, state that we :

1. Reject the plans to mine the POBOYA-PANEKI FOREST PARK by PT Citra Palu Mineral because mining in the Forest Park area will only cause environmental degradation and poverty and create a potential for social conflict in Palu and Central Sulawesi over a long period of time.

2. Ask the Governor and all associated parties to issue policies as soon as possible to stop the gold mining plans in the POBOYA - PANEKI forever.

3. Appeal to the community of the city of Palu and all stakeholders who are concerned about the environment and society to boycott gold mining plans located only three kilometers from Palu's Mutiara airport and only seven kilometers from the center of the city.

Jakarta, 10 May 2002,

Signed by

Aliansi Balengga Ntodea Kambuno
(Balengga Ntodea Kambuno Community Alliance)
Kaum Muda Sulawesi Tengah (KAMUST)
(Central Sulawesi Youth Group)
Solidaritas Perjuangan Reforma Agraria (SPRA)
(Solidarity for Agrarian Reform Struggle)
Jaringan Advokasi Tambang (JATAM)
(Mining Advocacy Network)
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (WALHI)
(Indonesian Forum for the Environment/Friends of the Earth Indonesia)

Supported by :
Telapak Indonesia - HuMa - KEHATI - AMAN