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Rio Tinto's Shame File
Rio Tinto's Shame File
Indonesian Landowners' Discontent Represented at Rio Tinto AGM
Monday, May 22, 2000
When the world's biggest mining company meets in Brisbane on Thursday, representatives of the affected community of the Indonesian Kelian Gold Mine will be there to ask questions.
Since 1992, Rio Tinto's Kelian Gold Mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, has produced 14 tonnes of gold per year. This mine operates fifty metres from the nearest watercourse, a tributary of the enormous Mahakham River on which thousands of people rely for their subsistence lifestyles.
"The Kelian mine has consistently manipulated environmental reports, and has wiped out without recognition the local community's traditional mining rights", says Mohammed Ramli, spokesperson for the Indonesian Mining Advocacy Network, JATAM, the group representing the affected communities.
"Locals suffer from skin rashes when they bathe in the river. They can no longer catch the fish they rely upon as a protein source, and the water is so contaminated with insufficiently treated mine wastes that it's too dangerous to drink", continues Mr Ramli. The first five kilometres of the river near the mine has been artificially diverted without taking into consideration the biological aspects, leaving the previous watercourse devoid of life.
"What's more, there are violent responses to peaceful community opposition to the mine", says Mr Ramli. "During a recent community demonstration on May 9 this year, the Director of External Affairs at PT KEM visited police headquarters. Later that day, 80 police troopers were dispatched to the mine, where they opened fire on the crowd, and arrested one community member accused of being a provocateur". There have been many other arrests during the mine's operation.
Mr Geoff Evans, Director of the mining industry 'watchdog', the Mineral Policy Institute, says "Rio Tinto's Kelian mine is yet another example of an Australian mining company taking advantage of weak overseas environmental regulation. This year we've seen the Romanian cyanide spill followed by a cyanide spill in Papua New Guinea, both the fault of Australian mining companies. They would never get away with it here in Australia- so why should they over there?"
The Mineral Policy Institute is calling for an end to Rio Tinto's environmentally destructive mining projects. In addition to Kelian, Rio Tinto is a part-owner of the infamous Freeport Mine in Papua Province, a mine described as having the world's worst record of human rights violations and environmental destruction.
The Freeport mine uses Lake Wanagon, a lake sacred to the indigenous Amungme people, to dispose of waste rock from its massive gold/copper mining operation. It is estimated that 3 billion tonnes of rock will have been dumped in the lake by the time the mine closes in 2041. This waste is acidic and contains heavy metals. The water from Lake Wanagon flows into the Ajkwa River system that flows down to the Arafura Sea. In addition the mine dumps 300 000 tonnes of tailings (waste) into the Ajkwa river every day.
Earlier this month, the waste rock disposal dam collapsed, killing four workers and sending several 40 metre-plus "tidal waves" of waste roaring down the Wanagon river towards Banti village. Incredibly there was no loss of life at Banti despite most people being asleep when the waves arrived, passing just metres below homes, killing livestock and destroying the village graveyard. Adding insult to injury, thirty minutes after the flood reached Banti, an early warning system installed by Freeport rang the alarm.
"It's typical that Freeport's solution is an early warning system which failed to alert villagers in the path of a deadly tidal wave of waste. This incident occurred hot on the heels of similar incidents two months ago, and also in June 1998, but this company is too arrogant to address legitimate community safety concerns and stop dumping waste in such a dangerous manner", says Mr Evans.
The next day, 600 indigenous Amungme people from Banti, Tsinga, and Arwanop blockaded the Freeport access road, preventing workers' busses from passing by. One hundred elite KOSTRAD army personnel threatened the community at gunpoint, but failed to shift them until they met personally with Hermani Soeprapto, Freeport's General Manager and made their grievances known.
Indonesia's key national environment NGO, WALHI, has announced that they will be taking PT Freeport Indonesia to court for violating environmental laws and regulations. This sentiment is echoed by the Indonesian government. The Environment Minister Sonny Keraf said last week that on the basis of an investigation by two ministries, the cabinet had determined that Freeport must submit a comprehensive new plan and obtain government approval before opening a replacement dump for the waste rock. Freeport must also clean up "all destruction and pollution that had been caused" by the waste released during the accident. In addition, Freeport must allow a criminal investigation by the police and government officials into the four men's deaths caused by the collapse, and finally, it must compensate losses suffered by residents of Banti village.
Mr Mohammed Ramli will address shareholders inside the Rio Tinto AGM and speak at a demonstration outside the meeting in Brisbane on the morning of the 24th of May.
A 15 minute video of the Freeport mine, the aftermath of the Lake Wanagon collapse and the impact of tailings dumping is available from the Mineral Policy Institute by arrangement.
For media enquiries:
Mr Mohammad Ramli,
Spokesperson, Indonesian Mining Advocacy Network, East Kalimantan
email: jatam@smd.mega.net.id
For more information, please contact:
Igor O'Neill
Workphone: +62 21 794 1672
Mobile: +62 81 286 12 286
Created: 22 May 2004 | Last updated: 22 May 2004
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