Big cash or orangutans – what is more important? A British conglomerate called Churchill Mining is planning to exploit a multi-billion dollar coal deposit in the national park Kutai in East Kalimantan. This conservation area is home to more than 2,000 Bornean orangutans. The survival of these endangered great apes depends on protected areas like the Kutai national park. Here they have found a refuge where they live side by side with other rare species such as sunbears and clouded leopards.
However, Churchill Mining seems to be solely interested in their coal, and seems to recklessly endorse the loss of this nature reserve. In 2008 the corporation received a 25 year permission for the conveyance of coal. The coal producing area overlaps the boarder of the national park and the planned opencast mine would entail consequences deep into the heart of the nature reserve.
As Churchill Mining was caught illegally logging as early as in the phase of exploration, the Indonesian High Court withdrew the permission for a coal mine. Now the British company is preparing an international lawsuit in order to claim its right to destruction.
Rainforest Rescue ask to write to Churchill Mining and the Indonesian government.