Mining-Scarred Island in Indonesia's Riau Islands Goes Viral Again

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The condition of several small islands in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province that were damaged by mining has once again drawn public attention after images went viral on social media. The latest case involves Propos Island, located in Ngal Village, Ungar District, Karimun Regency.

Satellite imagery from Google Earth shows the tiny island has been left largely barren. Only a few trees remain along its edges, while the interior is dominated by exposed land from past mining activity. Several areas have turned into water-filled pits, remnants of excavation.

The Riau Islands Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM) confirmed that Propos Island was previously used for bauxite mining. Reza Muzzamil Jufri, a policy analyst at the provincial ESDM office, said the mining permit was issued by the Karimun regency government in 2010.

“When mining authority was transferred to the provincial government in 2016, the permit for Propos Island had already expired,” Reza said.

Under Law No. 3 of 2020, authority over mineral and coal mining was later shifted entirely to Indonesia’s central government. Since December 11, 2020, mining management has fallen under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Regional governments now oversee only non-metallic minerals and certain types of rock mining, following Presidential Regulation No. 55 of 2022.

Two Mining Firms Held Permits

According to Reza, two companies held bauxite mining concessions on Propos Island. The first, PT Bukit Merah Indah, received a Mining Business License (IUP) from the Karimun regent on August 4, 2010. The permit, valid for five years, covered an area of 88 hectares.

The second company, PT Aneka Alam Anugerah, was granted an Operation Production Mining License (IUP OP) on August 12, 2010, valid for three years and covering 50 hectares.

Reza said the provincial ESDM office has no records detailing the exact duration of mining operations, as authority at the time rested with the regency government.

He added that since authority shifted from the regency to the province in 2016, there have been no reports submitted regarding post-mining reclamation by either company. This remained the case until provincial authority ended in December 2020.

“Post-mining reclamation is now under the responsibility of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources,” Reza said.

Damage is not limited to Propos Island. Nearby Kas Island has also been heavily affected by bauxite mining, with nearly 90 percent of its land transformed into barren terrain.

Reza confirmed that PT Bukit Merah Indah also held a bauxite mining permit on Kas Island. The license was initially issued in June 2007 for two years and later extended in August 2009 for an additional three years, covering 175 hectares.

Tempo has sought clarification from Karimun Regency’s Cooperative, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, and Energy and Mineral Resources Office, but has yet to receive a response.

Regulatory Violations Alleged

Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) campaigner Alfarhat Kasman said that regardless of which level of government issued the permits, Indonesian regulations prohibit mining activities on small islands.

“These operations still violate the rules, especially because there has been no post-mining reclamation,” Alfarhat said. He added that companies are required to provide financial guarantees for reclamation, which should now be traceable.

Alfarhat stressed that environmental damage on small islands has wider consequences beyond local administrative boundaries. “Deforestation on a small island can affect ecosystems elsewhere, including increasing disaster risks on larger islands such as Sumatra,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ngal Village Head Yusril said Propos Island is now visibly barren. Before mining began, residents cultivated rubber trees there for their livelihoods.

“Now people can no longer farm. Only small portions of the plantations remain,” Yusril told Tempo on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

He said there have been no major environmental disasters so far, but the loss of tree cover has drastically changed the landscape. Some residents have also complained that their original land ownership certificates were never returned by the mining company.

“The company borrowed the original land certificates from residents, and many of those documents have not been returned. They are still with the company,” Yusril said, adding that this has prevented residents from using their land.

Tempo is continuing efforts to contact the companies involved. A field officer representing one of the firms has not responded to requests for confirmation.

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