November 2016

This case studies the human rights impact of the PT Weda Bay Nickel mining company on indigenous and seaside communities…and their attempts to stop the mine or gain fair compensation for loss of their land.  It demonstrates the immense barriers to accessing meaningful redress…The project was embroiled in significant controversy over the disruption of the livelihoods of the affected villages, and the Tobelo Dalam, an indigenous tribe…The initial exploration and feasibility phase of the project was marred by the encroachment of the rights of these people — including improper land acquisition and compensation procedures, corruption, intimidation sponsored by state and company, and also raised issues regarding cultural, environmental and health rights…The CAO complaint had no tangible effect on human rights outcomes for affected communities. The Ombudsman function was unable to establish a problem-solving process because communities were too fearful for their safety to be identified…