Home › Publications › Theme: Mining, oil & gas ›

Newsletter articles

DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

To get on the mailing list for e-updates with links to the latest articles or PDF file of the full newsletter, click in the green box on the homepage.

The Bahasa Indonesia list offers links to selected articles from each newsletter issue.

To get on our  mailing list for hard copies (£10 a year, English newsletter only) send a request to dte@gn.apc.org.

DTE publications

Illegal military payments by Freeport/Rio Tinto

Down to Earth No 68  February 2006

Freeport, operator of the giant Grasberg goldmine in West Papua, is in the public spotlight once again over its financial relationship with the Indonesian security forces.

After almost forty years of largely fruitless protest, Amungme and Kamoro indigenous owners of the Freeport concession area in West Papua can be forgiven their cynicism at the latest push for accountability from the US-based mining company, Freeport.

ADB to fund BP's Tangguh gas project

Down to Earth No 68  February 2006

Despite protests from NGOs, the Asian Development Bank has approved a loan for BP's giant Tangguh gas project in West Papua.

In December 2005, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) decided to put US$350 million towards the $5.5 billion gas extraction and liquefied gas processing plant, now being developed by Anglo-US multinational BP, in Bintuni Bay, in the western part of West Papua.

This project has attracted critical attention because of the actual and potential impacts on local people and the e

New mine will mean more marine pollution in Sulawesi

Down to Earth No 68  February 2006

Villagers and NGOs are trying to stop a British-registered company developing a gold mine which could drastically affect the livelihoods of fisherfolk living in Rinondoran Bay, North Sulawesi.

Protests in Jakarta by community representatives from North Sulawesi against gold mining and its impacts on the marine environment, livelihoods and human health: the words 'Newmont', 'Buyat Bay' and 'STD' quickly spring to mind.

Kalimantan groups call for sustainable development

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

Four leading Indonesian NGOs organised a workshop and seminar in early October on the policy implications of natural resource exploitation in Kalimantan. The meeting was attended by representatives of various communities affected by large-scale plantation and mining projects plus 21 NGOs from Kalimantan and 2 from Sarawak.

Book Review - THE RISKS WE RUN: Mining, Communities and Political Risk Insurance

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

by Roger Moody

International Books 2005, pp322 Available from info@minesandcommunities.org

Political risk insurance and export credit guarantees are not terms that normally grab people's interest - except those working in the financial sector. The Risks We Run should change this. This book shows how political risk insurance (PRI) helps to make the world safe for investors.

Newmont called to account

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

August 5th saw the opening of the Indonesian government's first ever pollution case against a major mining company.

Call for new mining law to be delayed

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

Indonesian civil society organisations are calling on parliament to delay deliberations on the Mineral and Coal Mining Bill and to focus instead on passing a new umbrella law on natural resource management.

The mining bill, is designed to replace the 1967 mining law, which was passed during the early years of former President Suharto's rule and opened the door to foreign investors in the sector.