Tapping the Earth’s Veins

Gold mining in Aceh is scarring the pristine landscape of Alue Saya Hill in Geumpang subdistrict in Pidie. The dense forest has been broached, and the trilling of birds replaced by the thudding of ammers and the creak of crowbars. Miners come from as far as Java and Sulawesi to try their luck,saying they can get Rp 280,000 ($29.40) per gram of gold. Large chunks of rock are removed from the pits, crushed, then processed by machine. Nuggets of the precious metal are separated using mercury, then smelted into pure gold. Locals say they are concerned by the lack of regulation of the industry and the environmental damage caused by the miners.
These photographs published in the newspaper the Jakarta Globe, Friday 20 November 2009 on page ayewitness : Photos and Text Suparta