BANYUWANGI – The rise of illegal gold miners operating in protected forest areas has really embarrassed the Forest Management Unit (KPH) South Banyuwangi. KPH South Banyuwangi has made various efforts to ward off traditional gold miners.
However, the reality is that there are still a lot of miners operating in protected forest areas until now. even though, Gold miners who use makeshift equipment are of course at high risk. They are threatened with poison gas poisoning and buried in landslides.
One of the examples, The body of a suspected illegal gold miner was found some time ago. That is at least one of the dangerous impacts of this activity. Because of that, KPH Banyuwangi Selatan will continue to coordinate with all related parties,especially the Banyuwangi Police to control the illegal miners.
“We support the steps taken by the authorities who have taken action against these illegal gold miners,” said the South Banyuwangi KPH Administrator, Ahmad Basuki, yesterday (19/6). Basuki also admitted that he was uncomfortable with the statement issued by the Team 11, regarding gold mining at the Perhutani location.
It says, So far, Perhutani has never given permission to traditional miners to carry out mining activities in the Perhutani area. Because the authority to grant mining permits is the Minister of Forestry. So according to Basuki, Perhutani has never given permission to traditional mining to carry out activities in the Perhutani area.
Basuki did not deny that at some time Tim 11 meet him, to request that Perhutani not carry out operations or sweeps against miners and to grant permission to mine. However, At that meeting, Basuki never entered into an agreement or agreement regarding mining permits in the Perhutani area.
"Because, other than the plot area reason 78 and 79 enter the protected forest area, The party who has the right to grant mining permits is the Minister of Forestry," he said. As previously reported, Mining Community Empowerment Institute (LPMP) Team Eleven Banyuwangi regrets the arrest of illegal miners operating in the Tumpang Pitu mountain area, Kecamatan Pesanggaran, by Banyuwangi Police officers.
Otherwise, Banyuwangi Police Chief AKBP Nanang Masbudi has stated that the arrest of the miners was procedural. Eleven Team Leader M. Yunus Wahyudi said, His party deeply regrets the actions of the authorities who arrested the miners. Whereas before, his party claimed to have held meetings with Perhutani and a number of police representatives from the Banyuwangi Police Intelligence and East Java Police Intelligence.
According to Jonah, The meeting at the Perhutani office resulted in several agreements. Among them, The miners agreed to carry out reclamation to close the hole in the Mount Tumpang Pitu area. ''During the meeting there was also an agreement that miners could mine again, but why are there still arrests again,he said at that time. (radar)
