JAKARTA (UCAN): Indonesia’s bishops rejected an offer of mining permits to different religious groups made by the administration of outgoing president, Joko Widodo, said Father Marthen Jenarut, executive secretary of the bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace, Migrants and Itinerant People.
The conference has “no interest in taking up the offer,” Father Jenarut said adding that while other religious groups are willing to take the offer, the Catholic Church maintains its stance to remain committed to “encouraging sustainable development management.”
“Economic growth must not sacrifice people’s lives and environmental sustainability,” he said in a statement.
He said in a statement that the conference’s role is only related to the apostolic duties of service, proclamation, liturgy and martyria [burial chamber or mausoleum], rather than other issues such as managing mining.
Father Jenarut added that the conference “always upholds the principle of caution so that all actions and decisions taken do not conflict with the principles of the Catholic Church’s service which upholds human dignity, justice, solidarity, subsidiarity, common good, and maintains the integrity of Creation.”
Economic growth must not sacrifice people’s lives and environmental sustainability
Father Martin Jenarut
He also urged Catholic organisations to “obey the principles of spirituality and social teachings of the Catholic Church in all their actions.”
The statement came after Ignatius Suharyo Cardinal Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta said that the bishops were not competent in the mining sector and therefore rejected the government’s offer.
“I don’t know about other mass organizations, but in KWI [the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference] we will not use that opportunity because it is not our territory to look for mines,” Suharyo told reporters on June 5.
Meanwhile, the head of one Catholic religious organisation observed that the government’s move was actually good “because religious organisations also need to strengthen their organisations with business.”
He said, “We do not accept it yet because we are not ready, but we are still considering it if we can one day.”
I don’t know about other mass organizations, but in KWI [the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference] we will not use that opportunity because it is not our territory to look for mines
Ignatius Suharyo Cardinal Hardjoatmodjo
He added, “If we are not ready, we could hand over the permit to mining entrepreneurs and this will only cause problems.”
Widodo signed a decree on May 30 opening the path for religious groups to manage concessions to “improve social welfare.”
Leading environmental watchdog, Mining Advocacy Network, slammed the regulation as the government’s attempt to keep and control natural resources for the benefit of elites, AFP reported.
The group’s national coordinator alleged the move is “a [sign of] gratitude from Jokowi to religious groups for supporting him during his two terms” who is seeking to maintain his political influence.
Several other religious organisations have expressed their readiness to welcome the regulation.
If we are not ready, we could hand over the permit to mining entrepreneurs and this will only cause problems
Mining Advocacy Network
Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, which has more than 95 million members, said it was up to the task.
“Nahdlatul Ulama is ready with our skilled human resources, complete organisational structure, and strong business network,” its chairperson, Yahya Cholil Staquf, said on June 3 in a post on their website.
Reverend Gomar Gultom, who chairs the Union of Churches in Indonesia [PGI] said that the union respected the decision of religious institutions that will take advantage of the opportunities offered by the government.
“But regarding PGI itself, we do not have an official attitude. We are actually being assigned to study this because it is still [rife] with a variety of controversies. Really outside the mandate [of] PGI,” he told said.
He added that so far, PGI has actively accompanied victims of development policies, including mining victims.
“Participating in a potential mining business will make PGI very vulnerable to losing moral legitimacy,” he said.
