Indonesia: New gold mining company in Sumatra’s tiger forest
Our petition helped stop gold mining in the tigers’ forest in the Leuser Ecosystem – but now another company has arrived, and local people are taking a stand.
For years, residents of Beutong District in the Leuser Ecosystem have opposed gold mining. In 2020, together with the environmental organization WALHI, they filed a lawsuit challenging the permit granted to the mining company PT Emas Mineral Murni (EMM). They won: in 2021, the Supreme Court ruled against gold extraction by EMM, finding it posed a threat to the Leuser Ecosystem – especially to the endangered Sumatran tiger.
But the danger was not over. At the end of 2023, a new mining company – BME – appeared. The local community protested strongly. At their request, we launched the petition “Indonesia: NO to a gold mine in Sumatra’s tiger forest”. Thanks to the commitment of almost 85,000 people worldwide, BME’s gold mining has so far been stopped – a major victory for the rainforests of northern Sumatra.
Now, however, EMM appears to be eyeing gold once again. According to our partners on the ground, the company has put up large billboards in front of government buildings reading: “Congratulations on the 23rd anniversary of Nagan Raya District!” A concerned resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, says: “I only hope this doesn’t mean a new permit for a gold mine.”
Rahmad Syukur of our partner organization APEL Green Aceh is calling on the district government to halt PT EMM:
“This is not only about the rainforest and the tigers – it is also about the dignity of the people who have been fighting deforestation for mining for many years.”
“The people of Beutong safeguard nature according to strict traditional ecological rules. Logging, environmental destruction, and poaching are subject to severe punishment,” Syukur adds.
We will never stop raising our voices. No to gold mines in Beutong! No to mining on Indigenous land!
APEL Green Aceh asks you to please sign and share the petition – so that the forests of Beutong will endure, for the tigers, for the people, and for the whole world.
Short video by APEL Green Aceh with English subtitles. Duration: one minute.
In the heart of Aceh lies a hidden paradise – Beutong Ateuh.
PT Emas Mineral Murni (EMM)In 2018, EMM was granted a permit to mine gold and copper across 10,000 hectares of forest. The permit was valid for 20 years, with the option to extend it to 40 years.
Eighty percent of EMM’s shares are owned by Asiamet Resources Limited, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Asiamet is financed in part by Indonesian, Chinese, and Swedish investors.a new mining company – BME – appearedPT Bumi Mentari Energi (BME) is little-known. Its controversial permit covered 3,300 hectares within the residential areas of four villages.