Police ignores illegal mining, residents block mining site

mining
Placement of signs by residents calling the attention of security forces about illegal gold mining activities - documentation of residents for Jubi.

Manokwari, Jubi – Residents of Kwoor District in Tambrauw Regency, West Papua Province have blocked illegal gold mining sites in three villages in Kwoor.

Previously, residents had submitted two reports to the Sausopur Police but there was no response from the Police. Therefore, the people decided to block the site themselves.

“Mining in Barar Village, Kwoor Village and Orwen Village have been troubling and even threatening the environment. That is why we block the site,” said chairman of the Kwoor Indigenous People’s Organization Otto Yangreng on Monday, March 13, 2023.

Festus Yesnat, one of the local residents, admitted that before carrying out the blocking, his party had made two reports to the Sausopur Police but they were ignored.

Yesnat said most of the miners came from outside Tambrauw. They came with equipment and have been panning for gold in the three villages.

“Gold panning is done close to people’s homes, we are very concerned about the existing conditions,” he said.

However, he admitted that some of the miners were also from the local community and some were District Employees, the same with doctors and teachers serving in Kwoor District.

Tambrauw Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr.  Bendot Dwi Prasetyo confirmed that he had ordered his members to carry out curbing.

“I have ordered members to carry out curbs so that people no longer carry out illegal mining activities there, even though it is done traditionally,” said the Police Chief.

Prasetyo said that his party had been making preemptive and preventive efforts in handling illegal gold mining in the Tambrauw Regency. (*)

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