On Thursday, October, 28th, 2021, we on behalf of the Wae Sano community members, Sub District Sano Nggoang, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara Province reaffirmed our rejection of a geothermal mining plan in our living space.
This reaffirmation is stated to respond to coercive efforts done by the government and the company who are willing to continue the process of this project, in midst of a torrent rejection from the people. The latest one, for example, was on 28th September 2021 when the Joint Committee and Regional Government of West Manggarai signed MoU on Wae Sano geothermal project development in Jakarta. Besides, in the event, there was also Cooperation Agreement (PKS) on Land Procurement for Exploration Area (Exploration Drilling) in an open space of Wae Sano signed by PT Geo Dipa Energi (Persero) and Regional Government of West Manggarai. The coercive efforts from the government seem to have been triggered by the recommendation letter from Ruteng Diocese to President Jokowi on 29th May 2021, which gave the green light for the continuation of the geothermal project process, specifically at Well Pad A in Lempe Village.
Around a month after, on Wednesday 20th October 2021, the Joint Committee which supported the extractive plan on geothermal in Wae Sano came to us, who rejected the plan, to clarify the authenticity of signs given in the letter sent to the World Bank in 2020.
These coercive efforts from the government and the companies have brought many crucial questions from us as the owners of living space in Wae Sano about what is the interest and who are the ones that are fought for behind this forced development. The same thing goes with the World Bank that asked members of the Joint Committee to verify signs in the letter of people’s rejection, as if to show that we, the people of Wae Sano, seem to have been manipulated by certain parties for the benefit of their own group.
Based on these conditions, we as the representatives of communities who reject the geothermal project in Wae Sano reaffirm these following points:
First, we need to reaffirm that we reject the geothermal project in Wae Sano because the drilling spots are located in our living space, starting from our settlements, livelihoods, water sources, traditional houses, churches, and schools. Even the government and the companies have openly offered an option to relocate (read: displace) the community of Nunang Village.
Secondly, we also need to reaffirm that the Regional Government of West Manggarai ‘s action on signing an MoU with the Joint Committee is extremely detrimental to us as the rejecting community. We affirm that the MoU signing was a process carried out in “a dark corner” in order to manipulate our rejection voices.
Thirdly, especially to us the rejecting community well pad B (Lempe Village) affirm that we have never even once agreed and will never give our mandate to any parties to take actions on behalf of our names in order to support the continuation of geothermal project on well pad B. Therefore, the letter of recommendation from Ruteng Diocese did not based on our aspirations.
Fourthly, we affirm to the World Bank that even though almost the entire process of Wae Sano geothermal drilling plan entrance uses an “upper path” approach, is completely closed and allegedly full of transactional deals, our rejection (spoken and written) as the owner of Wae Sano’s living space is real, coming from the common consciousness of the villagers . That is why, from the beginning, we asked the World Bank to step in directly, so that they could fully understand the situation on the ground.
Reaffirmed once more, Wae Sano community reject the huge geothermal mining project plan, as well as urge the government and companies to stop the entire process , and the World Bank must stop its funding to PT SMI and GeoDipa immediately.
Contact Person:
Yosep Erwin | Representative of Kampung Nunang | +62 812-3818-6082
Frans Napang | Representative of Kampung Lempe | 0821-8837-4818