Indigenous Communities Rally in Jakarta Against Chinese Zinc Mining

North Sumatra's Dairi Bataknese communities threatened by the China newly funded Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM) mine in North Sumatra gathered outside the Chinese embassy building in South Jakarta, Indonesia on June 11, 2024 to state their unheard voices. They demand that the Indonesian government, the mine developer, and a new Chinese state-controlled financier to stop the project due to substantial evidence showing that it poses significant and deadly risks to nearby villages. Photo by Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro.

On Tuesday afternoon, June 11th, 2024, around 60 people adorned in bright-colored traditional garments gathered outside the Chinese embassy in Jakarta. They were the Batak Dairi people, the Indigenous communities threatened by a zinc and lead mine funded by China. They demanded that China halt its support for the project, which has been described as dangerous because it is built in a disaster-prone area.

“The Chinese financiers may just have been ill-informed,” said Mangatur LumbanToruan, the community representative. “If that’s the case, they should withdraw their support.”

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by Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro

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