JAKARTA - The practice of mining mafia in South Sumatra is suspected to be mushrooming. Recently, the issue of the alleged involvement of the police in backing the illicit business arose.
This was revealed from the complaints of several investors regarding the actions of the mining mafia by using legal instruments through the police. They admitted that they were intimidated into giving up their ownership of the mine, resulting in billions of rupiah in losses.
Responding to the issue, the Chairman of Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) Sugeng Teguh Santoso admitted that he did not deny that the involvement of police officers in the mining business had been going on for a long time.
“The practice of backing coal mines in South Sumatra by police officers has been chronic. This is happening because there are still rules for members of the National Police to do business,” said Sugeng in his statement, quoted on Sunday, May 29.
He said that the backing action of mining companies was realized by the inclusion of a retired general of the Indonesian National Police in corporations in Indonesia.
"So it's not strange the practice of backing-backing occurs," he continued.
For this reason, his party urges the National Police Chief Gen. Pol Listyo Sigit to carry out an internal cleanup in order to stop the joining of unscrupulous members of the National Police with the mining mafia in South Sumatra to frighten investors. To prevent this practice, he believes that the National Police Chief must also revoke the regulation that members of the National Police are allowed to do business.
"Check the police officers involved in the South Sumatra coal mining mafia, and revoke the regulation that members of the National Police may do business. This method can be done to prevent mining mafia practices that are detrimental to investors," he said.
"The National Police Chief must also clean up internally who are suspected of playing with the mining mafia," he continued.
Previously, the Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economic (CORE) Indonesia, Mohammad Faisal, assessed that the mining mafia case had traditionally occurred in Indonesia for a long time, especially in South Sumatra.
"The practices indicate a lot 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," said Faisal.
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 Prosecutor's Office should go down to the mining mafia. "I think I agree that then the KPK and the Prosecutor's Office must indeed go down to the bottom, to the practices of the mining sector, because it is still rampant until now," he said.
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