In Front Of The State Palace, Dozens Of Students Ask Jokowi And The TNI Commander To Overcome The Termination Of Mining And Jetty Operations In Southeast Sulawesi

Dozens of students held a demonstration at the Horse Statue, Central Jakarta/ Photo; IST

JAKARTA Demonstrations did not only occur at the Attorney General's Building, South Jakarta, dozens of people from the Southeast Sulawesi Student Association (Hima Sultra) Jakarta also held a demonstration at the Horse Statue, Monas, Central Jakarta. They asked the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono to pay attention to the termination of mining operations and Jetty in Marombo, North Konawe (Konut), Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra). Moreover, the termination was allegedly carried out by unscrupulous TNI soldiers.

"Ask President Joko Widodo and the TNI High Commander to follow up on TNI personnel who have stopped jetty activities at several mining companies in North Konawe because they are not in accordance with procedures," said Head of the Southeast Sulawesi Student Association (Hima Sultra) Jakarta, Egi Septiawan, in a written statement, Wednesday, May 31.

According to Egi, the cessation of activities of several nickel and Jetty mining companies in Marmobo, without any basis for dismissal.

Of the nine Jetty who were stopped by unscrupulous persons, he said, including Jetty UBP, BOSOWA, Bososi and Apolo, who even though they had obtained a special terminal use permit from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation.

The company that was stopped, he said, was one of the Jettys that also had an operational permit (OP).

"With the termination of activities at Jetty, it is the same as obstructing mining activities. And this clearly violates Law no. 3 of 2020 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining as amended by Law no. 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation," said Egi.

Egi emphasized that the termination also violated Article 162 of Law no. 3 of 2020, which states that anyone who obstructs or interferes with mining business activities from IUP holders, IUPK, IPR, or SIPB who has met the requirements as referred to in Article 86F letter b and Article 136 paragraph (2), shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 1 year or a maximum fine of Rp. 100 million.

The closure of nine Jetty, said Egi, is also not in accordance with the role of the TNI which has been regulated by the existing legislation.

"This policy is detrimental and hinders the national economy through operational permits granted by the state through operating companies," he explained.

His party also urged the TNI Headquarters to evaluate the soldiers in the TNI who were responsible for the incident, as well as review the closure of the Jetty of several legal companies in Morombo.

In addition, Hima Sultra Jakarta also urged the Indonesian Ombusman to examine the TNI soldiers, on suspicion of abuse of authority in terms of jetty dismissal.

"Investigate the people who have tarnished the dignity of the TNI. Stop criminalizing and intimidating local miners in Southeast Sulawesi Province," explained Egi.