The environment has taken centre stage in Indonesia’s regional elections in South Kalimantan after it emerged that the vast majority of mining and palm oil businesses in the province flout environmental laws.
According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry as many as 600 out of 700 businesses break the rules. They include contributing to air pollution, mismanagement in dealing with waste, and wildlife endangerment.
Activists claim these businesses are a powerful bloc in the province and are allowed to get away with malpractices by doing deals with local politicians, such as funding their election campaigns.
Mining and palm oil plantations have eaten up to 50% of the province’s total area of 3.75 million hectares, they say.
Kisworo Dwi Cahyono, executive director of the provincial branch of the environmental group Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) said it is imperative for voters to place the environment high on their list of priorities when they go to the polls later this month.
“People should vote for candidates who care for the environment and are serious about tackling ecological problems,” Cahyono said.
About 700,000 registered voters in four out of 11 districts in South Kalimantan will elect new leaders on June 27, as will 17 provinces, 39 municipalities, and 115 districts elsewhere in the country.
The four districts — Tanah Laut, Tapin, Hulu Sungai Selatan, and Tabalong — form part of Banjarmasin Diocese.
Cahyono said whoever is elected must be able to deal with big ecological issues.
He said WALHI has urged the local government to revoke the mining permits of several companies and stop issuing new business licenses. It has also urged the setting up of a “taskforce” to investigate illegal mining practices.