SRM questions TNI presence at Ketapang gold mine amid dispute

Gold mining company PT Sultan Rafli Mandiri (SRM) has questioned the involvement of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel at its gold mining site in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, following an incident involving Chinese technical staff and soldiers earlier this week.

SRM Director Li Changjin said the company was puzzled by the presence of TNI law enforcement personnel at a mining area that remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

“What is the basis for TNI involvement in a mining site that is still under dispute at the Administrative Court (PTUN) and under investigation by the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim)?” Li said in a written statement on Tuesday (Dec. 16), as quoted by CNN Indonesia.

The statement followed allegations that a group of Chinese nationals working at the site attacked TNI personnel from the 6th Combat Engineer Battalion/Satya Digdaya (Yonzipur 6/SD) on Sunday (Dec. 14). SRM has denied the allegation.

Read also : Crackdown on illegal gold mining operations in Ketapang Regency

Li acknowledged that several Chinese nationals employed by SRM were present at the site as technical staff and were operating drones for mining-related purposes. However, he said the company rejected claims that its workers assaulted soldiers.

“This is not a military area or a restricted zone. Why should drone operations be prohibited in our own mining area?” Li said, adding that the drone operator’s equipment—a drone and a mobile phone—was confiscated by soldiers and footage deleted before being returned.

He said the technical staff were frightened by the incident. “Who wouldn’t be afraid of soldiers? But what their interests were at the location remains unclear to us,” Li added.

Li also rejected claims that the Chinese workers were carrying sharp weapons, airsoft guns, or stun devices, or that they damaged company vehicles.

Separately, Li said a man identified as Imran Kurniawan, who claimed to be SRM’s chief security officer, was not affiliated with the company. According to Li, Imran and his group are being investigated by Bareskrim for allegedly attempting to illegally seize control of the mining site using falsified corporate documents and registrations with the Directorate General of Legal Administration (Ditjen AHU).

“He is not a staff member or officer of PT SRM,” Li said, adding that the Chinese technical staff had been deliberately obstructed by Imran’s group from accessing the company’s operational area.

TNI version of events

The Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has presented a different account of the incident. The Head of Information of the XII/Tanjungpura Military Command, Colonel Inf. Eko Wardono, said the clash occurred during routine unit-level training near the SRM site.

Eko said soldiers were alerted by security personnel to a drone flying over the training area and subsequently approached the operator, who was identified as one of four Chinese nationals.

According to Eko, when soldiers attempted to question the drone operators, 11 additional foreign nationals suddenly appeared and attacked the soldiers using bladed weapons, airsoft guns, and stun devices.

Due to the imbalance in numbers, the soldiers withdrew to avoid escalation, Eko said, adding that no TNI personnel were injured or killed. However, material losses were reported, including damage to a Hilux vehicle and a Honda Vario motorcycle belonging to SRM employees.

“The motive behind the drone operation and the alleged attack remains under investigation,” Eko said.

PT Sultan Rafli Mandiri holds a valid gold mining production operation permit (IUP Operasi Produksi) issued in August 2018 and valid until June 2030. The company’s concession covers approximately 99.9 hectares in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak