Karanganyar, Ekuatorial – Amid strong rejections from local villagers, officials on Tuesday (2/10) finally shutting down illegal mining in Karanganyar district, Central Java.
On Sunday, local villagers have complained on mining activities in the slopes of Mount Lawu, especially to extract sands. They feared that the activities might trigger landslides and flash floods which will threaten their lives and homes. However, local villagers were too scared to protest because of intimidation made by the workers claiming that they have strong back up.
“We will dispatch Satpol PP [Public Order Agency] to immediately close them down,” said Deputy Head of Karanganyar District, Rohadi Widodo admitting that he was not aware of the practices until being warned by provincial government.
Head of Karanganyar Public Order Agency, Mei Subroto said that they had formed an illegal mining monitoring team, involving also police and prosecutor, as a follow up on the district government’s order.
For the past three years, Karanganyar Public Order Agency had closed down eleven illegal mining. Two mining activities are still allowed to operate as they have obtained official licenses.
By involving other law enforcement in the team, Subroto said they would be able to press legal chargers against illegal miners using the 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law.
“If we only use regional regulation, it will produce little deterrent effect as it [illegal mining] is categorized as ‘light offences’. The sentence would only less than three months,” Subroto said. “However, if we’re using the Environmental Law, then they would face a maximum of five years in prison and billions [of rupiah] of fine.”
Furthermore, he said that illegal miners were also liable for criminal chargers as some of them allegedly smuggling fuels to operate their heavy machines.
“The miners are given the opportunity to complete their permits. But, if they broke the law, we would definitely enforced it [the Law],” he said.
Adding to the duty, they would also press chargers on government officials who were failed to report these illegal mining or did not process the permits according to the regulations. He cited the case of Ngargoyoso sub-district where its head sub-district gave permits to illegal mining.
Furthermore, he blamed on Karanganyar administration for not being firm on illegal miners which still extract minerals even after close down. He admitted that powerful bureaucrats seemed to protect illegal miners.
Based on Ekuatorial observation, illegal mining site in Ngargoyoso village which was usually crowded with workers and machines has been deserted.
However, not all satisfied with the action. Sutardiyanto, owner of two mining sites in Rejosari village, Gondangrejo sub-district, Karanganyar, regretted the closing down as he claimed that he was doing nothing illegal. Sutardiyanto, who goes by one name, said that he was in the process to extend his permits.
Furthermore, he said that he had given 30 percent down payment to local NGO to complete the permits. Unfortunately, the Karanganyar government closed his mining site, which already operating for two years and 20 months, before he obtained his permits.
As a result, he had to lose his job and to deal with the police. “[I am] unemployed and now I have to face the police being accused of smuggling fuels. It’s too much for me,” he said. Bramantyo.