Misery Around the Mines
Investment in the mining sector has not directly leveraged the social status of those living in mining concession areas. Instead of increasing employment, the mines have taken away sources of village income from farmers and left behind environmental damage. As a result, those communities have gone into debt just to meet their daily needs. Instead of benefitting, residents around coal mines have been deprived of their basic needs.
March 21, 2017
The saying "a dead mouse in a barn full of rice" could be applied to Sumirah. In order to meet her daily needs, this resident of Lubuk Sawah village in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, must go into debt. This mother of four lost her main source of livelihood, which was farming, ever since her land was taken over by a coal mining company.
For the past 10 years, Sumirah has only received land compensation of Rp500,000 per month. When she was still able t
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