Introduction

Background, Objective and Method

The development of mining industry in the world is in the fast growing pace as mineral commodity continue to gain good price and high demand continue to come from the fast growing new economic centers like China and India. The two factors contributed to expansion of mining industries into areas not yet entitled to any concession. This has also brought resurgence of existing concessions that are not yet developed due to uneconomic price and financial institutions’ reluctance to finance projects that would yield only small revenues.

In between the mood for tourism and mining

Vang Vieng (pronounced “wang wiang”) is one of the most tourist-attracting spot in Lao PDR. As the other major recreational places in Lao, Vang Vieng shares the beauty of big river and valley. This plateau has been well-known among travelers and backpackers for quite reasons.

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Pada 26 Desember 2004 lalu Samudera Hindia dilanda gempa dahsyat yang mengakibatkan tsunami dan menelan korban ratusan ribu jiwa di Aceh, belum termasuk di negara-negara lainnya. Paska peristiwa dahsyat itu, banyak ahli menyerukan pentingnya memasukkan manajemen bencana dalam perencanaan pembangunan. Tujuannya, agar jika terjadi gejala alam luar biasa seperti tsunami atau gempa bumi kerugian jiwa, harta dan infrastruktur dapat diminimalkan. Manajemen bencana tidak sama dengan menghilangkan sama sekali kemungkinan terjadinya bencana. Manajemen bencana memungkinkan kita menghindari lebih banyak kerugian dengan cara mengurangi kerentanan kita terhadap bencana.

Setelah Ingold, Newcrest, dan ANTAM yang lama bercokol, kepulauan Maluku dan sekitarnya segera menyambut hadirnya pemain baru di sektor tambang mineral. Investor yang baru saja meneken kesepakatan dengan pengusaha lokal ini adalah Asia Gold (South Gobi) kongsi tambang dari Vancouver, Kanada.

Tambang-tambang Baru di Pulau Jawa

Saat membicarakan hiruk-pikuk dunia pertambangan dengan berbagai kasus dan polemik yang terjadi, yang sering terbayang di kepala adalah kawasan-kawasan di luar Jawa yang dulunya berhutan lebat dengan sungai-sungai yang mengalir deras. Tambang emas, timah, nikel, atau tembaga dll banyak berada di pulau-pulau Sumatera, Kalimantan, juga pulau-pulau kecil seperti Bangka dan Belitung. Namun di era keemasan industri pertambangan dan otonomi daerah ini, Jawa pun bisa disulap jadi lahan investasi tambang.

this article was published in the Jakarta Post daily on July 7, 2007

 

The Jakarta Post Daily, in the Opinion and Editorial page published 21 June 2007, quoted an article written by Yolanda Torrisi, who is renowned as the publisher of ASIA Miner Magazine in Melbourne. The article began by raising a concern over protracted legislation of the Indonesian new mining Bill called Undang-undang Pertambangan Mineral dan Batubara (Minerba) and attempts to further discuss the matters being debated, however it introduces other topics with poor valid data apparently only from single source, thus the article becomes tendentious and far from objective.

Mineral is non-renewable resource and is therefore its development only deliver yields for certain period.(1) The availability of mineral resources is limited to the amount of reserves that lies underground. Once the reserve depletes the ore cannot be produced anymore. This fact brings two kinds of consequence.

MANADO, Sulutlink. Governor of North Sulawesi Drs. Sinyo Harry Sarundajang asserts that PT Meares Soputan Mining (MSM, Archipelago Res.) must halt all activities prior to Environmental Impact Assessment undertaken by Ministry of Environment is endorsed. The company is operating gold mining in the hilly region Toka Tindung, Likupang District, North Minahasa Regency. The Environmental Impact Assessment of the project is under review by EIA team of Ministry of Environment in Jakarta.

North Sulawesi People’s Alliance against Mining Waste (AMMALTA)

The North Sulawesi People’s Alliance Against Mining Waste (AMMALTA) strictly refuses the plans of PT Meares Soputan Mining, owned by Archipelago Res. (85%) and Julius Tahija (15%), and PT Tambang Tondano Nusajaya to construct a tailings storage facility (TSF) on the concession land that stretches out over North Minahasa Regency and Bitung municipality on grounds as follow:

Dear Sirs,

We write to you as the CEO and investors involved with the Toka Tindung gold mining project in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We would like to inform you of several facts that you must address in relation to your responsibilities regarding this project.