Molo's People Struggle

"We will not go home before we have met with the District Head, Mr. Daniel Banunaek to see that he immediately stops the mining permit. Besides that, the auto [excavator] must also immediately be removed from the location because it makes our heads dizzy,” say the Mamas. Nevertheless, Mr. District Head who is awaited has still not yet shown his face; he’s even inclined to avoid them. Since the sit-in at the office of the District Head began, Mr. Daniel Banunaek has never gone to his office and has temporarily moved his office his home.

The District Head’s stubbornness has been met by the people by holding a sit-in / surrounding his office. On Saturday (2/12/06) and Tuesday (5/12/06) the people who usually have just sat in front of the District Head’s office began to advance to close the door of the office so that workers wanting to enter the office had to go around to the back.

"The District Head has bothered our lives all this time. During this season we should be preparing our fields for planting, but because the District Head has issued a permit for mining, it has made our lives more difficult. The closing of the door to the District Head’s office isn’t making things more difficult for Mr. District Head or his workers because they can still live from the salaries they receive. But for us who have never received a salary, leaving our fields at such a time is a threat to our lives, our future,” said Mama Lodia.

[Rains began on Monday, 4 Des.] To face the rainy season, which means the people’s planting season, they have divided themselves into several groups so that some can go home earlier to immediately prepare their fields while others will remain at the location while waiting for other people who have already planted to arrive and replace them. They are doing this so that the location (the District Head’s office) will not be left empty.

2. Attitude of the Political EliteAlthough the people have been sitting-in at the District Head’s office for 13 days, the attitude of the political elite (executive and legislative) in TTS District, the province and at the national level does not yet indicate they are serious. The attitude to play behind the screen and to be unwilling/”courageous” to appear in the front is more visible from the attitudes that have been taken up to now.

Although members of both the district and provincial people’s assembly and also the national people’s assembly have visited the location, nevertheless they still make quick promises and have not yet taken any concrete actions. What is even stranger is that several members of the TTS People’s Assembly who visited the people at the sit-in at the District Head’s office not long ago said, “Sorry, misters and mamas, we are taking a recess and saw there were people sitting out here so we tried to come. Up to now we didn’t know anything about the problem all you men and women have been facing so we invite you to speak with us about this matter. And you need to know that our presence here is not on behalf of the institution, but on our own behalf as individuals,” so spoke a member of the TTS People’s Assembly who was present.

A statement such as this by a member of the assembly is very strange and doesn’t make sense; to use this shows they are not brave to give explicit support to the people. What is even stranger is that members of the District People’s Assembly have visited the location two times, so why don’t they know anything at all????

Obviously the people must persist to struggle on their own, even though they have chosen representatives who at this time sit in seats at the District/Provincial People’s Assemblies, as well as the central [National People’s Assembely] because they were elected by the people."If they are unable to help us, don’t blame us if in the coming election we don’t vote for them or even don’t vote at all,” said several of the people.

3. Future PlansThe people will continue to sit-in at the District Head’s office as well as at the mining site until: the District Head meets with the people, the District head withdraws the mining permit permanently/temporarily, and the auto [excavator] is removed from the location. If these three things are not met, then the people will persist in their protest.

Seeing that the District Head still does not want to meet with/heed the people, thus the struggle of the indigenous people of Kuanoel, Fatumnasi Village and other villages will continue for a long time. The failure of the people to chase away the investor from the mining site means a legitimation of other mining plans on Mollo land that is rich in natural resources, especially marble. If that happens, then environmental destruction, water pollution, poverty and hunger will haunt the people every year. Support and pressure from many parties is still very needed here to stop all mining permits in Mollo Earth that never give welfare for the people.

Soe, 13.30 Central Indonesia TimeAt this moment more or less 300 people from Amanuban and Amanatun (using 8 trucks) have been delivered to the office of the People’s Assembly office (next to the office of the District Head). These masses are shouting and asking the [anti-mining demonstrators] to immediately go home and leave the location.

Although they are being pressured to immediately go home, the indigenous people of the Village of Fatumnasi and Kuanoel still refuse to be moved even a little from the office of the District Head. "If we must die here, let us just die here and there is not even one person who can scare us. In life there are only three things: happiness, difficulty and death,” said the people of Kuanoel and Fatumnasi Villages.

At this time there are not many still at the sit-in at the District Head’s, only about 50 people, mostly women. Most of the people have gone home to plant because the rainy season has arrived.

Although the people of Kuanoel-Fatumnasi Villages are being threatened by thugs, the police are trying to wash their hands and don’t want to take responsibility. They are allowing the thugs to perturb the women who remain at the location. an mencoba cuci tangan untuk tidak mau bertanggungjawab. Mereka membiarkan para preman mengusik para Mama yang tetap tinggal di lokasi. Provocation and attacks of the people could very likely occur at any moment and the police will just let it happen. This brings to mind the Naitapan case of April 2006 when thugs attacked (threw things at) those who were blockading the mining location and the police just let it happen. But when the people [protestors] tried to retaliate for that attack, the police (security forces) then arrested activists and local leaders.

While awaiting news of further developments, friends who have legal aid (lawyers) can provide back-up in this case if the people of Fatumnasi and Kuanoel Villages are arrested.

To know directly the situation in the fields, friends can contact:
Melly Oematan/ Pak Mel : 0813537437462.

Mak Leta : 0813189673193.

Theos/ Arit via Yati’s handphone : 085239329345