The Wire

The Indonesian constitutional court has made a ruling that will prevent mining in some of its most sensitive and protected forests. The decision partially reverses an earlier a presidential decree handed down by former President Megawati Sakarno Putri. This presidential decree had the effect of overriding Indonesian law that prohibited mining in protected forests. The move may hamper the viability of one project by proposed by Australian mining giant BHP Billiton at Indonesia’s Gag Island However Indonesian environmental NGOs and communities effected by pollution from several mines remained concerned because many forests are still at risk from open cut mines and the pollution those operations bring. The reason for this is that the ruling will allow seven companies, including partly Australian owned corporations, to continue mining in protected areas. Observers are concerned that the exemption for the seven companies were only allowed because of threats that a failure to allow mining to continue could see the country face international legal action through the World trade Organisation or WTO. Techa Beaumont is the director of Sydney-based mining watch dog, the Mineral Policy Institute. She discussed the impact of the constitutional ruling with The Wire’s Erica Vowles.