Dozens of Traditional Gold Miners Hold Actions to Demand Justice

Palangkaraya - Dozens of traditional gold miners who are members of the call for action from the small communities of Kalimantan Tengah staged an action in front of the Kalimantan Tengah DPRD office, Wednesday (10/8/2022).

Dozens of traditional gold miners, demanding fair rules for the miners.

Field action coordinator, Andreas Junaidi, said that at least seven demands were submitted to the Kalimantan Tengah DPRD, specifically related to policies governing traditional gold mining activities.

For this reason, his party demands that the Kalimantan Tengah DPRD urge the police to stop arrests and raids on community mining activities.

"We also ask that the Kalimantan Tengah DPRD can urge the police to stop the investigation process and release residents who have been arrested during the raid process," he said.

He explained that the raid was considered very detrimental to the community in seeking their daily income.

In fact, the gold mining process is carried out on land owned by the community itself.

For this reason, the government is asked to immediately determine the People's Mining Area (WPR) and People's Mining Permit (IPR).

"We ask that it be determined immediately, without any conditions or complicated bureaucracy," he said.

In addition, Andreas Junaidi continued, his party also wants the government to give permission for the community to continue to carry out gold mining activities until there is a concrete solution from the government.

For this reason, it is necessary to have a legal umbrella for traditional gold miners, so that in the future the miners will no longer be arrested by the police.

"Therefore, this Minerba Law must be reviewed so that later it can be in favor of small communities," he said.

He also hopes that the government can pay attention to local commodities, such as rubber and rattan so that later they can become the main source of income for the people who are the impact of controlling raids by the police.

"It's a pity that we are a small community, we want to work to mine gold instead we are arrested, our equipment is burned. We want a policy that is pro against us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Kalimantan Tengah DPRD, Wiyatno, who met the demonstrators directly, in front of the Central Kalimantan DPRD office, accepted and appreciated all the aspirations expressed by the people.

On this occasion, the PDI-P politician has coordinated with the Kalimantan Tengah Provincial Government and Central Kalimantan Regional Police, to allow the community to continue mining gold until the regulations, which are currently still under discussion, can be completed.

"In addition, if there are people who do not have a mining permit, please don't be arrested. But it is assisted for the licensing process, so that people can still have income,” he concluded.

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