Indonesia police investigate death of politician who opposed remote gold mine (updated)
21/06/2021 08:01
(Updates June 14 story with comment from Baru Gold)
By Agustinus Beo Da Costa, and Kate Lamb
JAKARTA, June 21 (Reuters) - Indonesian police are looking
into the death of a politician from Sulawesi island who opposed
a gold mine project there, after environmental groups and the
human rights commission called for an investigation.
Helmud Hontong, 58, the deputy regent of the remote Sangihe
islands, in North Sulawesi province, was pronounced dead on
arrival at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in the city
of Makassar on June 9.
Canadian mining firm, Baru Gold Corporation, which owns 70%
of the Indonesian company granted the mining concession on
Sangihe, said it strongly denied any suggestion of links to the
death or that it had caused any environmental damage.
Police have set up a team to investigate the death, Jules
Abraham Abast, a spokesman for the North Sulawesi police, said.
Initial results of an autopsy did not show any indication of
poison, police said in a forensic report, adding that the
suspected cause of death was chronic illness. Forensic samples
had been sent for further testing, police said.
Ahmad Taufan Damanik, chairman of Indonesia’s human rights
commission Komnas HAM, said it had asked police to investigate
after receiving complaints from Sangihe island residents.
The politician had appeared to be in good health before
boarding a Lion Air flight on Bali island but complained of
feeling dizzy about 20 minutes after takeoff, his aide, Harmen
Kontu, who was sitting beside him at the time, told Reuters.
Helmud "lost conscious (ness) and blood flowed from his
mouth and nose” soon afterwards, Kontu said.
Helmud opposed the 42,000 hectare gold mine concession
granted to PT Tambang Mas Sangihe. The central government gave
the greenlight for the mine earlier this year.
PT Tambang Mas Sangihe is 70% owned by Canadian firm Baru
Gold Corporation and 30% by combined interests, according to the
Baru Gold website.
Baru Gold President and CEO Terry Filbert said in a
statement that the company denied unfounded accusations over any
link to the death of the politician in the strongest possible
terms.
"The company has conducted itself, and will continue to
conduct itself, in accordance with all laws, rules, and
regulations," he said.
Baru Gold said it had undertaken an environmental study and
"outlined in detail a meticulous strategy to mitigate
disturbances to the rare flora and fauna of the island".
Environmentalists say the mining concession, which covers
more than half of Sangihe Island - the main island in the group
- is a threat to ancient forests, at least 10 species of birds
and water supplies for residents.
On April 28, Helmud wrote to the Energy and Mineral
Resources Ministry urging it to revoke the mine permit on
environmental grounds, the ministry said.
The letter had been received and representatives of the
ministry were scheduling a meeting with authorities in Sangihe
to discuss the mine, Ridwan Djamaluddin, an official from the
ministry, said in a statement.
Alfred Pontolondo, coordinator of the Save Sangihe Island
environment group, said Helmud had been close to the island’s
residents and opposed the mine "because of his love for the
island".
"I don't want to speculate on his death," he said. "Let the
police process it legally if there's any suspicion."
(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa in Jakarta and Kate Lamb
in Sydney; Editing by Robert Birsel and Neil Fullick)
((Kate.Lamb@thomsonreuters.com;))