Satya Bumi’s response to the UN Joint Communication’s[1] AL IDN 8/2025 on the massive environmental destruction and the violation of indigenous Bajau people’s lives on Kabaena island, Southeast Sulawesi
Satya Bumi deeply appreciates the official statement by the UN Special Rapporteur concerning the situation of nickel mining on Kabaena Island, Southeast Sulawesi. This concern extends to other regions of Indonesia such as West Papua, Sumba, Maluku, South Sulawesi, North Kalimantan, Mentawai, and North Sumatera.
The UN’s letter reinforces and validates the evidence we previously submitted regarding the ecological destruction, public health impacts, and violations of the rights of the Bajau Indigenous Peoples caused by the expansion of nickel mining on the island.
We appreciate the UN’s attention to the violation of Law No. 1/2014 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands, which clearly prohibits mining on islands smaller than 2,000 km². For the past two years, Satya Bumi has conducted intensive monitoring of extractive activities on Kabaena Island. The fact that over 70% of Kabaena, which is only 891 km², has been allocated to mining concessions illustrates a serious failure in law enforcement and natural resource governance.
The UN’s statement on the collapse of the Bajau People’s traditional sources of livelihood—including declines of up to 80% in fish and octopus catch and a 90% drop in seaweed prices—aligns closely with data documented by Satya Bumi. Severe sedimentation, marine pollution, and the degradation of coastal ecosystems have devastated the economic and cultural foundations of the community.
We echo the UN’s alarm regarding the worsening public health conditions, including high rates of respiratory and skin illnesses and the presence of heavy metals—at levels up to 1,000 times above WHO safety thresholds—in water, dust, and biomonitoring samples. The tragic deaths of Bajau children who drowned in waters turned into sludge by mining sedimentation highlight an unacceptable failure of state protection.
We also note the UN’s confirmation of our reports on the absence of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), land seizures without compensation, and the criminalisation of community members who voice their concerns. These practices violate international human rights standards and Indonesia’s obligations under global agreements.
This UN communication is a powerful reminder that the Indonesian government and the companies involved can no longer deny or be complicit in their obligations to carry out thorough environmental rehabilitation in Kabaena.
In light of these statements, Satya Bumi calls on the Government of Indonesia to:
- Reckon this Communication as a serious reminder from the UN to promptly address the violations that have occurred, both for the people of Kabaena and their environment.
- Following this recognition, the government should immediately halt the 16 active mining operations in Kabaena.
Automakers who source materials from Indonesia’s smelting facility should:
- Immediately carry out human rights and environmental due diligence throughout the supply chain;
- Automakers that source their nickel from Kabaena should halt their sourcing practices and explore the most effective methods to remedy the existing impacts mentioned above.
With community, we believe that a just and sustainable energy transition should not be based on others’ suffering.
[1] Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples; the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
