SAVE the Lembeh – Pulisan – Bangka region!
STOP the goldmine!

Top News: New Update 18.04.2008: Update by friends of Lembeh (read more, PDF),
Letter from the Ministry of Environment (PDF) and LH Tantang ESDM (PDF, indonisian)

Read the Press release from AMALTA (25. März 2008) .... read more (PDF)

Indonesian Ministry For Energy And Minerals (ESDM) revokes construction stop for Australian Archipelago Resources gold mine Toka Tindung in North Sulawesi. Read more (PDF).

SIGN the petition!

The most unique endemic flora and fauna of North Sulawesi’s Wallacea region / Indonesia is endangered if the Toka Tindung gold mining site of Australia’s Archipelago Resources PLC Meares Soputan Mining Ltd. company will start to operate in 2009, as is the plan, near Rinondoran/Batuputih Bay of North Sulawesi’s East Likupang and Bitung regencies.

The company has modified its original plans to employ the submarine tailings disposal system which is banned in many countries because of its high environmental risks and was not allowed by the Indonesian Ministry For Environment. It will now build a “tailings storage facility” (dam) on land to accumulate the tailings. The area is the drinking water reservoir for the 200.000 inhabitants city Bitung. Bitung is the industrial heart of the region. The area is also classified as a high risk earth quake and tsunami area, thus the catastrophe is prone. The people and the government of North Sulawesi therefore reject the gold mine. Due to the resistance, the company was not granted the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) yet which is a precondition to operate.

The waters of Lembeh Stait, Cape Pulisan and Bangka Archipelago are called “The golden triangle of marine biodiversity” which is not to be found elsewhere in the world. This it at risk if the mine is going to operate.

The Sulawesi subregion supports the richest, most highly endemic and most distinctive avifauna in Wallacea. Mainland Sulawesi hosts a resident avifauna of approx. 224 land and freshwater bird species of which 41 are endemic. As part of the mining concession land stretches out over the protected jungle reserves Tangkoko and Dua Saudara, these are at risk as well.

Learning from the just closed case of Buyat Bay in North Sulawesi where the American Newmont gold mining company contaminated land and sea as well as people and just agreed in an out of court decision to pay 30 mio. USDollars compensation to the Indonesian government, we know that people’s health is at risk as well.

Scrupellous mining investors bribe their way through all levels from the national ministries to the provincial departments and also around the coastal communities, just maximising their profit while victimising nature and people.

This website gives you a lot of insights and informations, but it is firsthand meant as a forum and action platform.