2) Protests force Indonesia to revoke mining permits in Papua
3) PT GAG Nikel operations still halted: Energy Ministry
4) Indonesia revokes licences of four nickel miners in Raja Ampat, allows one to continue
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1) More deaths reported out of West Papua clashes
10 minutes ago
Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist
Further reports of civilian casualties are coming out of West Papua, while clashes between Indonesia's military and the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement continue.
One of the most recent military operations took place in the early morning of 14 May in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya in Central Papua.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Iwan Dwi Prihartono, in a video statement translated into English, said 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) were killed.
He claimed the military wanted to provide health services and education to residents in villages in Intan Jaya but they were confronted by the TPNPB.
Prihartono said the military confiscated an AK47, homemade weapons, ammunition, bows and arrows and the morning star flag - used as a symbol for West Papuan independence.
But, according to the TPNPB, only three of the groups' soldiers were killed with the rest being civilians.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua said civilians killed included a 75-year-old, two women and a child.
Both the women were allegedly found on 23 May in shallow graves.
A spokesperson from the Embassy of Indonesia in Wellington said all 18 people killed were part of the TPNPB, as confirmed by the military.
"The local regent of Intan Jaya has checked for the victims at their home and hospitals; therefore, he can confirm that the 18 victims were in fact all members of the armed criminal group," they said.
"The difference in numbers of victim sometimes happens because the armed criminal group tried to downplay their casualties or to try to create confusion."
The spokesperson said the military operation was carried out because local authorities "followed up upon complaints and reports from local communities that were terrified and terrorized by the armed criminal group".
Jakarta-based Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono said it was part of the wider, Operation Habema which started last year.
"It is a military operation to 'eliminate' the Free Papua guerilla fighters, not only in Intan Jaya but in several agencies along the central highlands," Harsono said.
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2) Protests force Indonesia to revoke mining permits in Papua
Govt has issued 16 nickel mining permits in ecologically sensitive Raja Ampat Islands of Papua, activists say
By UCA News reporter and AFP Published: June 10, 2025 07:21 AM GMT
Protests from environmental activists and church leaders have compelled the Indonesian government to halt nickel mining at an ecologically sensitive tropical marine hotspot in the Papua region.
On June 10, the government revoked permits for four of the five mining companies operating in the eastern archipelago of Raja Ampat, a UNESCO-recognized geopark and a popular tourist destination.
President Prabowo Subianto "decided that the government will revoke the mining business licence of four companies in Raja Ampat,” state secretariat minister Prasetyo Hadi told reporters.
Energy and mineral resources minister Bahlil Lahadalia said "they have violated" regulations.
"We believe this region must be protected," he said.
Lahadalia faced an unprecedented protest when he attempted to visit Sorong, Southwest Papua province, reportedly to inspect mining sites located in the Raja Ampat Islands on June 7.
Dozens of activists and residents marched through the streets ahead of the visit, prompting the minister to flee the airport, reports said.
The licence revocation also followed the publication of videos by Greenpeace Indonesia last week, which showed environmental damage to three islands caused by nickel mining projects. One of the video clip garnered over 15 million Instagram views.
Greenpeace said nickel exploitation on the islands of Gag, Kawe and Manuran had led to the destruction of more than 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of forest and vegetation.
Raja Ampat Islands is a cluster of islands and shoals, considered one of the world's most pristine reefs, with its clear blue waters making it a popular diving spot.
In 2023, Raja Ampat Islands were designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Indonesia holds the world's largest nickel reserves and is the top producer of this metal, which is utilized in electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel. A 2020 export ban has sparked a domestic industrial boom.
Environmentalists say coral reefs and marine life are threatened by the operations, but Bahlil denied the surrounding environment had been harmed.
"If people say the coral reefs and the ocean have been damaged, you can see for yourself. Please be careful to differentiate which one is real and which one is not," he said.
One more company -- PT Gag Nikel -- will continue to operate on Raja Ampat's Gag island but be closely monitored, said Bahlil. It received its operational permit in 2017.
‘Church battles avarice’
Nickel mining in Raja Ampat has aroused controversy and sparked a national debate during the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference and Expo in Jakarta on June 3.
Iqbal Damanik from Greenpeace said they are extremely concerned about the reactivation of nickel mining and the issuance of 16 mining permits in Raja Ampat.
He claimed that Greenpeace investigations found nickel mining had started on several islands in Raja Ampat, including Gag Island, Kawe Island, and Manuran Island.
“Papua is not empty land! This is our ancestral heritage, not an empty space to be destroyed by investors!” shouted Uni Klawen, a young local resident, in a video of the protest that took social media by storm
As per the 2024 law on management of regions, coasts, and small islands, mining on these three small islands is illegal, he said.
Nickel exploration on these islands has cleared more than 500 hectares of forest and typical natural vegetation, he added.
Bishop Bernardus Baru of Timika in Papua said that mining in Raja Ampat is a form of “oligarchy, greed, and avarice.”
“The actions of the oligarchs were based on a spirit of evil that has taken control of humans with the interests of capitalism,” he told UCA News.
Indonesia has boosted nickel mining recently to meet demand for electric vehicles. The country accounts for 23% of the total global nickel reserves.
Melky Nahar, a Catholic and coordinator of the Mining Advocacy Network, said mining causes more damage to people and the environment than economic benefits.
“A damaged ecosystem means that we lose the living space and production space of forest, sea, and water source communities that have supported food, fisheries, and nature-based tourism,” he said.
Greenpeace Indonesia said the decision was a good start but the government needed to take further action.
"We need to make sure the decision will be implemented. We need to make sure they stop," forest campaign team leader Arie Rompas said.
He warned that the government could reissue the permits later, or the companies could appeal the decision in court.
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3) PT GAG Nikel operations still halted: Energy Ministry
June 10, 2025 22:57 GMT+700
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Secretary general of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Dadan Kusdiana said PT GAG Nikel's operations on Gag Island, Raja Ampat, are still temporarily suspended, though the government has not terminated the company's contract."PT GAG Nikel's operations are currently still temporarily suspended," he confirmed when contacted by ANTARA here on Tuesday.The suspension, he said, will continue until an investigation into the environmental safety of PT GAG Nikel's mining activities on Gag Island is completed."(The suspension) is until the investigation into environmental aspects is completed," he added.Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia earlier informed that the government has revoked the mining permits (IUP) of four companies in Raja Ampat since some of their mining operations were being conducted within the protected geopark area.The companies are PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, PT Nurham, PT Melia Raymond Perkasa, and PT Kawai Sejahtera.Related news: Raja Ampat: Ministry plans PT GAG Nikel environment auditHowever, the government did not revoke the work contract permit of PT GAG Nikel since the company's mining activities were determined to comply with the requirements of the environmental impact analysis (Amdal).The minister emphasized that the mining activities of PT GAG Nikel met Amdal requirements. Therefore, the company was allowed to continue to operate.PT GAG Nikel conducted initial explorations on Gag Island in 1972. It signed a work contract in 1998 and an exploration cooperation agreement in 2002.It extended its exploration permit in 2006–2008 and conducted a feasibility study in 2008–2013 as well as construction activities in 2015–2017.The company started production in November 2017, and its permit is valid until November 2047.Related news: Nickel mining in Raja Ampat sparks heated debateTranslator: Putu Indah Savitri, Katriana
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-revokes-licences-of-four-nickel-miners-in-raja-ampat-allows-one-to-continue
4) Indonesia revokes licences of four nickel miners in Raja Ampat, allows one to continue
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja PUBLISHED JUN 10, 2025, 08:36 PM
JAKARTA- The Indonesian government has revoked the business licences of four nickel mining companies operating on the small islands within Raja Ampat, a Unesco site,
for breaches related to a permit regulating forest use – the latest response to the discovery of illegal works in the country.
But calls from the international environmental community for a full ban on mining activities in the world-renowned marine biodiversity site persist.
On June 10, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters, following a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, that the four companies in question were all in the first steps of operations, namely the exploration stage that involves identifying potential areas of nickel deposits.
Meanwhile, a fifth company, which is being looked into, has begun production – this process involves concentrating, smelting and refining the nickel. It has been allowed to continue but is subject to strict monitoring from the government, Mr Bahlil said.
Waste water management systems and air pollution are monitored, among other things.
Apart from these five companies, there are other existing mining companies operating in Raja Ampat.
Indonesia’s 2014 coastal areas and small islands management law prohibits mining activities in islands of 2,000 sq km or smaller, such as those in Raja Ampat. But companies that meet certain austere requirements, including being able to give strong assurance that
they will not affect the sea ecosystem, mangroves, reefs or any conservation areas, can be issued licences to carry out mining activities.
The four companies whose licences were revoked are PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa and PT Nurham, Mr Bahlil said. The investigations and breaches were related to the Forest Area Utilisation Approvals, also known as PPKH permits.
During the June 10 press conference, Mr Bahlil did not address questions related to why these companies were granted permits to operate in Raja Ampat.
Besides a mining business permit, companies need a PPKH permit, which, among its terms, allows miners to use allocated areas of forest and also requires that they must later replant the forest area they operate in.
China investor-owned PT Anugerah Surya Pratama – whose site is in the 746ha Manuran island – allegedly operated without the required environmental management and waste water management systems.
PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, allegedly operated in a forest area beyond the area allowed under its PPKH permit. PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa did not possess a PPKH permit.
PT Gag Nikel is the fifth company implicated and was allowed to continue operations. Its mining site is on the 6,000ha Gag Island.
The company, a subsidiary of state-controlled mining company Aneka Tambang, was told on June 5 to halt mining temporarily amid public pressure. After the press conference, it was allowed to restart operations immediately.
The decision to allow PT Gag Nikel to continue operations was made based on consultation with all stakeholders, including the local community leaders, Mr Bahlil said on June 10, adding: “President Prabowo has paid special attention to Raja Ampat and exerts serious efforts
to keep Raja Ampat a world tourism spot.”
Environmental experts told The Straits Times that a total ban on mining activities on the Raja Ampat islets is the only way forward to protect the popular diving and ecotourism spot located in West Papua. Should any extractive activities continue, it could result in the extinction
of the area’s flora and fauna.
Raja Ampat, a Unesco Global Geopark site consisting of more than 1,500 islets, is one of Indonesia’s top destinations for diving and ecotourism. It is internationally recognised as part of the Coral Triangle, which is home to more than 500 species of coral and over 1,400 species of fish.
As a Unesco Global Geopark, it has to abide by certain regulations, including conserving nature and maintaining sustainable tourism.
The Coral Triangle is a global epicentre for marine biodiversity and encompasses the tropical waters around Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
“We appreciate President Prabowo Subianto’s firm act to shut those companies’ operations, but more should be done,” Dr Fahmy Radhi, an energy economist at the University of Gadjah Mada and a former adviser to a minister, told The Straits Times.
All mining should be banned in Raja Ampat, with no exceptions, he said.
“Any mining anywhere produces environmental pollution. In Raja Ampat, there is so much at stake – natural forest, very rare flora and fauna.”
Greenpeace had earlier sounded the alarm on these illegal nickel mining activities when it released a June 3 report and videos highlighting the alleged violations against environmental regulations in the islets within
Raja Ampat district, including the Gag, Kawe and Manuran islands.
Citing the report, Greenpeace forest campaigner Iqbal Damanik said the nickel exploitation in these islands has destroyed more than 500ha of forest and vegetation. The exploitation has also caused sediment accumulation along the coastline of the small islands, which
could potentially hurt coral reef and the Raja Ampat sea ecosystem.
Maritime affairs expert Marcellus Hakeng Jayawibawa warned that if this issue is not addressed promptly, Raja Ampat could lose its Unesco Global Geopark status.
The islets where these mining activities occurred are between 30km to 40km away from the Karst of Piaynemo, one of the most popular geological heritage spots within Raja Ampat.
During a June 5 visit to some of the affected islands, Mr Bahlil said that the mining activities were “quite a distance away”. He also said there were no visible impacts and that locals there wanted to keep the mining operations going, for the sake of jobs.
But environmental pollution as a result of mining activities can easily spread beyond that 30km to 40 km radius, said University of Gadjah Mada’s Dr Fahmy.
He also noted that exploration and exploitation mining works would have already begun shortly after some of these companies received their mining permits as far back as 2013. While the matter is receiving attention only now, he expects that mining works and pollution
would have already caused significant impacts, such as air pollution and sedimentation of the coastal areas.
The Raja Ampat mining violations have also sparked a wave of outcry on social media, with netizens posting content and videos on social media criticising the lack of oversight or calling for government action. It has also resulted in the trending hashtag #saverajaampat.
A video that has made the rounds features several young boys against the backdrop of Raja Ampat making impassioned pleas to the government.
One of them says: “(When) I was little, I swam in crystal-clear seawater and listened to the cheerful chirping of birds.
“Now, the earth is scarred, the sea has turned murky brown, and the birds’ songs are slowly fading. All of this is sacrificed for mining and money.”
- Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja has been Indonesia correspondent at The Straits Times since 2008, and is based in Jakarta.
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