Jakarta, The PRAKARSA – The Policy Research Institute PRAKARSA held a Policy Dialogue and Research Dissemination event entitled "Community-Based Human Rights Identification and Impact Assessment (COBHRA) in the Critical Minerals Sector”, on Wednesday, February 4 in Jakarta. The event presented in-depth findings on the paradoxical reality of the global energy transition in Mapur Village, Bangka Belitung, and discussed the urgency of protecting human rights in the extractive industry.
Trying to reject mere externalities, the research report reveals the phenomenon Green Extractivism or green extractivism, where massive exploitation of natural resources for the sake of a global climate rescue agenda actually creates a “sacrifice zone” (sacrifice zone) for local communities. Although Bangka Belitung contributes nearly 20% of the world's tin supply, this wealth has not been positively correlated with the well-being of its residents and instead perpetuates structural poverty and the socio-ecological crisis. In this policy dialogue, Ari Wibowo, Researcher at The PRAKARSA, explains that the COBHRA methodology or Community-Based Human Rights Impact Assessmentt positions the community as the main subject or rights holder (rights holders“We found a sharp gap between corporate compliance claims and the reality on the ground.
"Partnership mechanisms often create loopholes for tin ore from informal sources to enter the formal supply chain without adequate human rights oversight, which has a massive impact on communities," he said.
Responding to this, in the panel session, Sofia Alatas as Director of Preparation and Evaluation of Human Rights Instruments, Ministry of Human Rights, explained that the Human Rights Due Diligence initiative with the latest and contextual indicators is being prepared in the latest Draft Presidential Regulation (RPerpres). Sofia stated that President Prabowo has approved the initiative permit for the RPerpres on Human Rights Due Diligence. This is a welcome move, coinciding with Indonesia's ongoing steps to prepare OECD standards that respect human rights and the environment in the business chain. She emphasized that this regulation will not be merely administrative. "The indicators we convey to companies must be met. Otherwise, there will be strict sanctions. We will also conduct field verification in collaboration with affected communities, civil society, and academics to ensure the actual conditions," Sofia emphasized.
Rachmi Hertanti, Researcher at the Transnational Institute (TNI), added a critical note regarding Indonesia's position in international negotiations. "International trade agreements, for example, tariff negotiations with the US or specifically... bilateral agreements Research on critical minerals often neglects to analyze the impact on local communities, which has implications for all Indonesians. The findings of this research should serve as a basis for civil society to urge the government to implement review "Indonesia's commitment to critical mineral strategies and international agreements will benefit all the nation's children," said Rachmi.
The real impact at the ground level is emphasized by Ahmad Subhan Hafiz, Director of Walhi Bangka Belitung Islands. He highlighted the vulnerability of miners and the marginalization of women within the mining sector. "There are indications of shifting responsibility for occupational safety from the parent company to vendor partners or artisanal miners through unfair schemes. The culture of keeping quiet about workplace incidents demonstrates that current governance is far from fair," he said.
Edo Martono, Representative of the Mapur Village Community, conveyed a profound message regarding the destruction of indigenous people's living spaces. "We feel we no longer have rights due to the destruction of resources on land. Our expectations of the government are clear: coordinate with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to revoke mining permits (IUP) in marine areas. It's enough to just damage our land, not exploit the sea as well. We hope our damaged environment will be restored soon, and that former traditional mining communities will be given new support to transition to sustainable economic activities," he concluded.
In response to these findings, this report formulates a number of strategic recommendations:
- The government is urged to reform data integration and conduct regular physical audits to strengthen the validity of the SIMBARA system. Furthermore, the government is expected to immediately ratify a Human Rights Due Diligence policy that integrates a community-based approach.
- Require corporations to implement tracking systems (traceability) that is transparent down to the grassroots level and improves labor relations standards. Companies need to implement comprehensive human rights due diligence across the supply chain, from impact identification and integration of actions, monitoring effectiveness, to transparent reporting.
- Encourage financial institutions to use community monitoring reports as a basis for independent verification in ESG risk assessments (Environmental, Social, and Governance).