"Don't call us illegal miners"

Small-scale mining companies, which operate coal-mining sites in South Kalimantan without proper licenses, have appealed the local communities not to call them Peti, the local acronym for illegal miners.

"Please don't call us Peti any more because such as name really hurts us," one of the illegal miners said in a dialogue with local authorities and non-government organizations. "It will be more appropriate if the people call us 'the people's mines'," he said.

Their call apparently drew a support from the province's governor Sjachriel Darham, who also joined the dialogue. "I feel pity on the so called Peti miners because most of them are our owned people," the governor said.

Activities of illegal coal mining are rampant in this province, causing a major destruction to the environment. Unlike, licensed miners, which carry out their mining activities with sophisticated technology and under a close control from the authority, the illegal miners use traditional equipment in digging up the mineral resources.

Activities of the illegal miners angered many local residents. But the people's response is more and more positive now due to growing sentiment against foreign companies, which controlled most of the local mineral resources. (*)