"Official Statement of the People Negatively Affected by Nickel Production and the Sulawesi Alliance Relating to the G20 Summit Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali" 14 November 2022

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Indonesia’s interest at the G20 summit is to convince developed countries to increase their investment in Indonesia, especially in the energy, transportation, and raw materials sectors related to technology and electric vehicles.

We believe that at this G20 meeting, the Indonesian government will offer developed countries the potential to finance and invest in nickel found in Indonesia’s rainforests, especially on the island of Sulawesi. Indonesia harbors ambitions to become a world-class producer of battery raw materials to support worldwide electric vehicle production. The Indonesian government is expected to host an electric vehicle exhibition in one of G20 event with the theme of energy transition.

The Sulawesi Alliance, a coalition of NGOs on Sulawesi Island working to protect human rights and the environment, feels it is important to amplify the aspirations and will of the people on Sulawesi Island to world leaders in the run-up to the G20 meeting. We deem this crucial because the policies of the Indonesian government often do not reflect the will of the people.

Leaders of the G20 countries – especially the United States, Canada, European countries, Japan, China, and Australia – should note that the standard of living of people in Indonesia, especially those living around forests, is currently declining. This especially holds true for farmers and fisherfolk living around nickel mines, smelters and their coal power plants in Sulawesi. Before nickel mining expanded into the rainforests in Sulawesi, farmers in Morowali, North Morowali (Central Sulawesi), East Luwu (South Sulawesi), Konawe, North Konawe, and other districts in Southeast Sulawesi could rely on two harvests a year.

However, after the nickel mines and smelters began operating, local communities experienced numerous crop failures because their rice fields were polluted by mining sludge and smelter waste. Farmers were forced to sell their rice fields because they were no longer viable.

The pollution of rivers and seas is an inevitable impact of nickel mining and smelting. Leaders of countries promoting electric vehicles should be aware that the nickel mines and smelters in Sulawesi are not only destroying the rainforests, but also impacts the coastlines.[...]

The same holds true in Lampia Village, Malili Regency, South Sulawesi, where the mud of the former mine directly pollutes the sea. [...]

Women are also experiencing the negative impacts of nickel mining. Women in Sorowako, especially Indigenous Karonsie women, have had their dreams of a self-sufficient life shattered by nickel mines and smelters owned by Canadian and Japanese companies that have decimated their ability cultivating their own land.

Their customary agricultural land have been taken by nickel mining companies without compensation – some plots of land have even converted into a company-owned golf course. They no longer have access to clean water and are forced to consume dirty river water polluted with nickel mine mud. Their current settlement has been fenced off in utter disrespect of the customary land rights of the Indigenous Karonsie people.

The expansion of the most recent nickel mining sites in South Sulawesi has led to evictions and the seizure of community-owned pepper gardens that gave local people a good income, supporting their families for many years.

Rain forest destruction which has an impact on the loss of people’s livelihoods, especially women, also occurs in Central and Southeast Sulawesi. In central Sulawesi, precisely in Morowali and North Morowali Regencies, fishermen have to resign themselves to losing their incomes because the coasts and seas that have been the source of their livelihoods have been polluted with mining sludge and tailings waste from former nickel mines and nickel smelters funded by Chinese companies.

As a result, fishermen decided to stop fishing and chose to become construction workers and smelter factory workers, earning far less than they did when they were fishermen.

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We concretely demand:

1. That the leaders of Group 20 countries, especially the President of America, China, the Prime Minister of Canada, Japan, Britain, the Leaders of the European Union, and the Chancellor of Germany make a firm commitment to stop supporting investments that destroy rainforests around the world, especially on the island of Sulawesi. We concretely demand a stop to investment support in the mining sector, especially nickel mining.
2. That international financial institutions stop financing the mining sector, especially nickel mining in Indonesia. This also includes financing to build supporting coal power plants to power nickel smelters. International financial institutions must shift financing and investment to sustainable businesses, especially those that protect rainforests around the world.
3. To the Indonesian government, especially President Jokowi, to immediately stop issuing mining business permits, especially nickel mining business permits. In addition, we demand that President Jokowi revoke the mining permits that have damaged the rainforests on Sulawesi Island and other islands in Indonesia.

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