Bedouin residents have been disturbed by the damage to Mount Liman

Lebak (medialnews) – The life of the indigenous Badui community inside Lebak Regency, Banten, is now disrupted after two hectares of Mount Liman were damaged by illegal gold miners (PETI) or gurandil.

Mount Liman, which is rarely touched by humans, is a forbidden forest that is sacred to the indigenous Badui people.

The trees were cut down and there were also holes which were dug by the gurandils, so that the Mount Liman area appeared barren.

They are suspected of carrying out illegal gold mining in the Mount Liman region for a long time.

The area where the forbidden customary forest is located is at the limit of the customary land rights of Badui and the community of Kaolotan Wengkong Cibarani.

“We condemn the damage done to Mount Liman as a forbidden forest that was entrusted by our ancestors for protection and preservation,” said a character from Badui who is also the chief of Kanekes village, sub-district of Leuwidamar, Lebak Regency, Jaro Saija. Kanekes Village is located about 40 km from Rangkasbitung, downtown Lebak, Banten.

Be consistent with the mountains

The Badui people who were entrusted by their customary ancestors have remained consistent in protecting the mountains and forests in order to maintain their sustainability. Conservation of forests and mountains to avoid all natural disasters such as floods, landslides and global warming.

Currently, the Badui Customary Forest Zone, which covers an area of ​​5,101.85 hectares in accordance with Regional Regulation No. 32 of 2001, is currently well preserved.

Of the 5,101.85 hectares, 3,000 hectares are customary forest areas, including the Forbidden Forest on Mount Liman.

The 11,600 Bedouins in 68 villages are not allowed to cut trees or destroy forests, due to their commitment to preserving the environment.

Because the Bedouin community from its ancestors until now, has maintained and preserved the environment as a pillar of life. In fact, Saija said, the Badui region so far has no paved roads and development infrastructure. The state of the road in the Badui area is still a dirt road, so it cannot be crossed by motor vehicles.

“We prohibit foreigners from entering Badui customary forest by bringing means of transport, such as motorcycles, cars and trucks, as vehicles can destroy the forest in Badui area,” Saija said.

If they want to travel, the Bedouins have to walk barefoot due to their determination not to accept technological developments seen as one of the causes of this natural destruction.

Read also: Bedouin personalities condemn the damage on Mount Liman

Concerned

Likewise, the traditional chief of the Badui tribe in Ki Pulung was concerned about the damage caused to Mount Liman by the gurandils. In fact, the expression on the face of a character from Badui Dalam shed tears over the destruction of the forest which is forbidden by adat.

The Mount Liman area was handed over by ancestors who had to be preserved and preserved, but there is now evidence that damage has occurred. Because of this, he said, he left messages and requests to the local government.

“We are asking the government, which was commissioned by the ancestors, not to destroy the mountains, not to destroy the valleys, to change the customs. But now it is proven that Mount Liman has been damaged, ask for help government, ”he said. .

Five suspects

By tackling the destruction of Mount Liman, the police have taken legal action to break the chain of damage and preserve nature.

Banten Regional Police Special Criminal Investigation Director (Direskrimsus) Kombes Pol Joko Sumarno says his party has named five suspects for the destruction of Mount Liman based on the results of investigations and inquiries in the field.

The five residents named the suspect form a network, ranging from mining players, processors to mercury suppliers.

It is estimated that the perpetrators of the Mount Liman destruction exploited unlicensed gold mining around January 2021.

“We have therefore taken action with five residents as suspects. The five suspects are still linked. Some are still under investigation and some are still at the stage of the prosecutor’s research,” said Kombes Joko Sumarno.

In addition to the lawsuits, he said, his party has also taken persuasive action by meeting with people around Mount Liman to stop the activities of the gurandil and together to preserve the mountain which is considered a sacred area that people shouldn’t casually visit.

“Two weeks ago, we met with the leaders and the community around Mount Liman, to together protect the mountain, not destroy it,” he said.

Also read: Banten Regional Police named five suspects for Mount Liman destruction

Coordination

DPRD member Lebak Musa Weliansyah said his party would coordinate with the Environment Department, Civil Service Police Unit and local police regarding the damage to Mount Liman.

In the coordination, how in the future the Mount Liman region will be preserved, so that there will be no more gurandil activities.

Those who are the perpetrators of the gurandil must take legal action so as not to return to their acts.

So far, he said, the Mount Liman area is an upstream area of ​​the river in Banten province, so there is a need to prevent it from causing damage to nature.

Damage to the forest, which is prohibited by Badui custom, can cause potential natural disasters as well as the ecosystem around Mount Liman.

“We call on the gold miners to stop their activities so that Mount Liman is not further damaged,” said PPP politician Lebak Regency.

Decisive action must be taken to prevent larger disasters, such as floods or landslides, so the costs incurred due to such natural damage.

Read also: Bedouin residents Hundreds of kilometers on foot to hunt squirrels

By Mansyur Suryana
Editor: Joko Susilo
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