A number of mining activities began in 2010 and for at least the past 10 years, large mining companies have been operating in the area on a large scale, causing significant environmental damage.
The community has also expressed resistance — one example being the #savebobo movement that was launched by residents of Bobo village on Obi Island. This effort aims to save the remaining village from the expansion of extractive mining which would destroy, not only the forest, but also their land and sea.
Vecky Kumaniran is the coordinator of the #savebobo movement.
Vecky Kumaniran, koordinator gerakan #savebobo. Credit: Supplied/Vecky Kumaniran
According to kits resident Vecky, Obi Island has indeed been targeted by mining investors, and as a result, several villages have been damaged by mining and there are others that are just beginning to see mining activities.
This mining expansion has met with resistance from the community, particularly the 'setapak' community or locals.
This resistance is reasonable, as Obi Island is not particularly large. Vecky described that it would only take one day to traverse the island from one end to another with a vehicle. Alternatively, a very small boat could also circumnavigate the island within a day.
Vecky merasa penolakan ini penting, karena dia lahir dan besar di pulau Obi, tepatnya di desa Bobo. Dia ingat betul, bagaimana indahnya desa Kawasi pada sekitar tahun 2000-an, sebelum investor tambang mulai masuk pada 2009. Desa Kawasi memiliki sungai yang bersih dan mengalir di tengah desa tersebut. Kini, sungai itu telah rusak dan masyarakat kesulitan mencari sumber air bersih. Padahal Vecky yakin, setiap warga negara berhak hidup di lingkungan yang sehat. Karena itulah, aktivitas tambang harus ditolak.
Vecky feels this rejection is crucial as he was born and raised on Obi Island, specifically in Bobo village. He vividly remembered how beautiful Kawasi village was around the year of 2000s, before mining investors began arriving in 2009. Kawasi village boasted a clean river flowing through the centre of the village. Now, the river has been damaged, and residents struggle to find clean water. Vecky believes every citizen has the right to live in a healthy environment. Therefore, mining activities must be rejected.
Like Kawasi, Bobo village is also crossed by two rivers running through the centre of the village. Vecky worried that mining will destroy their living space and the lives of their children and grandchildren.
Vecky described what happened in Kawasi, a village that was destroyed by mining, as a mirror for the people of Bobo village. Kawasi is now devastated that even the slightest rain will cause flooding. Vecky said that the residents of Kawasi are suffering on their own land and was determined that the similar will not be happening in Bobo.
