ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-075-2017
July 10, 2017
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INDONESIA: Police reluctant to investigate case of teenager drowning in mining hole
ISSUES: Fair trial, impunity, environmental damages, due process of law, rule of law
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On June 25, Novita Sari (18), a student of a state vocational school (SMK) in Barong Tongkok, drowned in a mining hole owned by Gunung Bayan Pratama Coal Company (PT Gunung Bayan Pratama Coal) in Belusuh Village, Siluq Nurai Sub-district, West Kutai regent, East Kalimantan province. Novita’s death makes the total number of victims drowning in the coal pit 28.
Before her death, Novita Sari and her two friends planned to spend their Eid holiday in Kem Baru zoo. When they reached the place however, they found the zoo has been moved to Batu Kajang, Paser regent. Having reached Kem Baru, they tried to think of other places to visit in the area, and finally thought to visit the coal mining hole in Kem Baru owned by the Gunung Bayan Pratama Coal Company. The mining hole, roughly covering the area of three football fields, with a depth of 35 meters, and full of water, was abandoned by the Gunung Bayan Paratama Coal Company, without any fence or board with a warning announcement. Between Muara Tae village and Belusuh village only 14 km away, there are six mining holes left by the company. Even the government mining agency of East Kalimantan province stated that the company has left as many as 35 gaping holes without any effort to close them.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)