About The Mining Mafia In South Sumatra, CORE Economist: This Is A Tradition

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The mining mafia in Indonesia in recent years has become a scourge for investors in Indonesia. This is because several coal mining investors have recently emerged in South Sumatra (Sumsel) who have complained about the forced takeover by the mining mafia in the area.

In fact, the mining mafia in South Sumatra (Sumsel) is suspected of using state instruments such as law enforcement officials to intimidate investors into releasing mining ownership, resulting in billions of rupiah in losses.

In response to this, the Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economic (CORE) Indonesia, Mohammad Faisal, assessed that the mining mafia case has traditionally been happening in Indonesia for a long time, especially in South Sumatra.

"Many practices indicate or are often colored by the influence of the shadow government, then there are illegal practices that are often detrimental to the surrounding community and also to the environment," he said in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 4.

Worse, he said, this practice often involves not only law enforcement officers or law enforcement officers, but also individuals rather than the government, authorities who of course cooperate with those who want to illegally control the mine.

"As I mentioned, shadow government is actually outside the government but has an influence in terms of their capital capabilities, namely those who want to control mines, especially those in the regions," he said.

For this reason, Faisal also agreed that the KPK and the Police had to go down to the mining mafia.

"I think I agree that then the KPK and the National Police really have to go down to the bottom, to the practices of the mining sector, because that is still rampant until now," he continued.

Faisal said that what must be done is a wider and more stringent supervision and investigation. According to him, the KPK must work more intensively to the regions, not only at the center.

"Because this is already rampant in many areas and typically happens in the mining industry or business and that should be the main focus for the KPK as well," he said.

So, said the CORE researcher, there needs to be more human resources (my source is human) who need to be mobilized to track this practice.

"Including to see from the government side rather than the mining business in the regions. This includes being more thorough, securing good sources of funding for campaigns or elections, now that's in the regions. So I think it takes hard work and additional resources for the KPK to do that," he said.