Irony Of Raising Sustenance In Unlicensed Mining: Challenging Death For The Sake Of The Stomach

JAKARTA - This past week has been a heartbreaking time for the families of gold miners in Pancurendang Village, Ajibarang District, Banyumas Regency, Central Java. On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, it was the first time that eight people were trapped in the underground water where the illegal mine was located.

Cecep Suriyana (29), Muhammad Rama (38), Ajat (29), Mad Kholis (32), Marmumin (32), Muhidin (44), Jumadi (33), and Mulyadi (40). They are traditional mining workers trapped. All from Bogor, West Java.

The eight traditional mining workers have been trapped in the gold mine pit since Tuesday (25/7/2023) night, and Banyumas Police Chief Kombes Edy Suranta Sitepu received a report on Wednesday at 04.00 WIB. The miners entered the mine pit with an estimated depth of 70 meters.

Various efforts have been made by the Basarnas team. Starting from conducting an assessment at the location by asking the mining workers to find out the depth and source of water leaks that enter the mine pit where the workers are. The rescue team also used inspection cameras to find out the conditions inside the hole.

Like other incidents, local wisdom rituals were carried out by residents of Pancurendang Village to help the Basarnas team remove eight miners who were still trapped, as well as a form of their concern for workers trapped in the mine pit.

But so far there has been no good news. Based on the monitoring from the camera that has been put into the hole, an idea has been obtained that the well is flooded with cloudy water, so it is difficult for the rescue team to see for sure the conditions inside.

After a week passed, there has been no bright spot for the search for eight gold mining workers. The worst possibility is that the eight miners died as revealed by the Head of the Cilacap Basarnas, Adah Sudarsa.

"After entering the fifth day, take the bitter, the victim has died. So of course it is necessary to anticipate, especially water, because it has issued negative things," said Adah, as quoted by BBC Indonesia. However, SAR operations will continue until the seventh day

Furthermore, Adah said that he had invited the families of the victims of the miners trapped in the stomach.

"Families came to see firsthand his condition. We also gave an explanation of what happened and what the rescue team had done," said Adah.

Seeing the conditions at the scene and after hearing the explanation from the joint SAR team, the victim's family, represented by the Head of Kiarasari Village, Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency, Ahyar Suryadi, said that he was sincere.

"I am very grateful to all those who have made search efforts. I appreciate the work of all fathers," said Ahyar.

"We let our families who are trapped in the well. If they are not found, we are sincere."

Banyumas Police Criminal Investigation Unit investigators have named four suspects in connection with a work accident at the traditional gold mining of Pancurendang Village, Ajibarang District, Banyumas Regency.

The four suspects had the initials K (40), a laborer who acted as the owner of capital and mining holes. Then there is WI (40), an entrepreneur as the owner of the capital and owner of the hole, and finally S (72) a farmer as the owner of the land. The three suspects are local residents, while one other suspect is still on the People's Wanted List or DPO, with the initials DR, who is also a resident of Ajibarang Banyumas. DR is the owner of the capital and owner of the mine pit.

The Banyumas Police have also coordinated with the Central Java Provincial Government and ESDM so that the illegal mines are closed.

"The suspect's modus operandi is to carry out rock mineral mining activities to find gold without permission from the relevant agencies," said Head of Public Relations of the Central Java Police, Kombes Pol. Satake Bayu in his statement, quoted from the Police Public Relations.

The suspects were charged with Law Number 3 of 2020 Amendments to Law No. 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Code. The evidence that was secured included a yellow helmet, a set of flashlights, gloves, boots, jack drills, blowers to letters.

Banyumas Police Chief Kombes Edy Suranta Sitepu said the gold mine operating in the rice fields in Pancurendang Village, Ajibarang District was illegal or unlicensed.

"So, the gold mine here is not licensed. We are currently collecting data on the mines here," the Police Chief explained.

Head of the Banyumas Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Kasat Reskrim), Kompol Agus Supriadi, added that his party had examined a number of witnesses related to the trapped case of eight gold miners including the Head of Hamlet II Pancurendang Village, Karipto.

He said that the gold mine had not been licensed and had existed since 2014. The mining of the people is a livelihood for most of the residents of Pancurendang Village. At the time of the opening of the mining land, there was an agreement between the land owner and the miners with a percentage of 20 percent profit sharing for land owners, 20 percent investors and 60 percent others for workers.

According to Kripto, the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit continued, currently there are 35 mining stalls, 30 of which are active and five others are inactive.

The gold mine in Pancurendang Village, Banyumas, is not the only illegal gold mine in Indonesia. According to Data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), there are more than 2,700 illegal mines in Indonesia until the third quarter of 2022. Of these, almost all of them are mineral mining, which is 2,600 locations and only 96 locations are coal mines.

According to Dr. Anggawira as the General Chair of the Association of Indonesian Energy and Coal Suppliers (Aspebindo), the proliferation of illegal mining practices is partly due to the very strict processing of mining permits.

"For the illegal mining case in Banyumas, it actually has to be checked in cashuistics. Actually, there are rules or regulations regarding people's mines, which are managed by cooperatives. But maybe this is not working, maybe because it is difficult to comply. To take care of mining permits are strict regulations, they must be seen from the regional side and so on," Anggawira explained to VOI, Wednesday, August 1, 2023.

"These steps must be taken, but maybe because they are considered troublesome, they are finally desperate. Economic needs are also very influential. Local residents also need the presence of this illegal mine."

In addition, Anggawira also did not rule out the possibility that illegal mining activities in Banyumas were actually known by interested people in Pancurendang Village, such as the village head.

"Yes, it could be left alone, because they may also benefit from this mining activity," he said.

The practice of unlicensed mining is certainly very worrying, because illegal mining usually utilizes protected and production forest areas. Some even do it on land that is part of the company's mining business permit area.

This condition is clearly detrimental to many parties. In addition to potential damage to the region, illegal mining also harms the state because the perpetrators do not deposit royalties or taxes. Whereas natural resources that are underground are state-controlled assets, so it is necessary to obtain a permit from the competent authorities to be managed.

Deputy Regent of Banyumas, Sadewo Trilastiono confirmed that mining at the crime scene had existed for a long time. However, according to him, his party does not have the authority to issue mining permits, but is just a recommendation and until now there has never been a recommendation request from both residents and from other parties to the local government regarding the application for a recommendation for a gold mining permit.

"We at the Regional Government together with the police and the Kodim have socialized the ban related to illegal mining," said Sadewo.

Ironically, in the midst of a series of negative impacts that have occurred, illegal mining also has a positive impact on people who use illegal mining as a place to earn sustenance.

Not a few residents make jobs as illegal miners to be used as sources of their income. Even the threat of danger of being trapped in a gold mine pit is ignored, especially when most of these illegal miners work without qualified or makeshifty safety equipment.

This story was revealed by Agus, who has been a miner for the last nine years since there was a gold mine in Pancurendang Village. Instead of becoming a relatively safer farmer because he has no risk of danger, Agus chose to take the risk of becoming a miner even though his place of work was illegal. The reason is that clich, being a miner can drain more money than being a farmer.

Agus did not specify his income as a miner, but he admitted that he could pocket Rp1 million to Rp5 million each week from mining results.

Flashlights are usually the only tools miners bring when descending. Without a helmet, special clothes, or special shoes.

"If you wear shoes, it's even a hassle, so it's just like this. When you go down there is also no safety rope, go down through the stairs," said Agus.

Although located in Banyumas, only a few mining workers came from the local village. Only about 50 people.

"Most of them are from West Java. I don't know where they came from. Residents here rarely dare to enter," said the Head of Pancurendang Village, Narisun, who has served since the end of 2015.

Now, all unlicensed gold mines will be closed by the Banyumas Police, in the aftermath of the case of eight workers who were trapped by landslides.

"The number is around 20 wells. We will coordinate with Forkompimda. Everything will be dismantled," said Banyumas Police Chief Kombes Pol Edy Suranta Sitepu.

In 2016, illegal gold mines in Pancurendang Village were actually raided and closed. But for whatever reason, the gold mining activity is back in operation.

The incident of eight workers buried by landslides in illegal gold mines is an irony. Indonesia is a country rich in natural resources, but there are citizens who must challenge death in order to survive. In fact, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia Article 27 paragraph (2) states that every Indonesian citizen has the right to work and a decent living for humanity.

Now the question is, what will happen to those who usually earn sustenance from unlicensed mines after their livelihoods are closed?

"There must be socialization from the local government regarding illegal mining, maybe the local government can form BUMD to take care so that illegal mining does not become more widespread. In addition, local governments should also have the ability to provide jobs to those who have lost their livelihoods due to the closure of illegal mines," Anggawira explained.