Haluoleo University, Indonesia; PhD Candidate at the Department of Anthropology,

School of Culture History and Language, Australian National University

Background Study Location Themes of Risks Emerged Summary

Gold mining in Bombana District of Indonesia started with a gold rush that occurred in
mid-2008. Approximately 100,000 people came for prospecting gold until the end of the
year. In order to deal with to deal with such a huge influx of aspirant miners, the district
government issued a KIMP (individual mining permit) and WPR (artisanal mining area)
policies. However, political pressures from the provincial and central governments as well
as uncontrollable environmental damages and social issues forced the regent to put to
an end both KIMP and WPR effectively from April 2009. Since then, mining exploration
and production permits were given to state and private enterprises with most
concessions area over lapped with land privately or traditionally owned by Indigenous
Moronene people. Our PhD study aims why and how indigenous people in the area
engage in gold mining and also to understand how they perceive health risks impacts of
gold rush and mining.
In scoping visit , we tried to gather representatives of the people and villages formal and
non-formal institutions to talk about how they feel about gold mining activities around
them . In particular we asked them to discuss the impacts of mining risks which according
to them is very disturbing.
In order to do so, we provided training for the use of a Free and Open Sourced Software
(FOSS) application called FrontlineSMS (FLSMS). FLSMS is used to distribute and
collect information via text messages with its broadcast and auto reply function. The
software is installed into a laptop with an modem sticked into. The modem however is
Figure 1. The map of Bombana District, Southeast Sulawesi
Province (Inset: Sulawesi Island of Indonesia)
Precarious Livelihood: 1) territorial control by mining companies and lack of
access to common; 2) Increasing Cost of Farming, due to water and labour
shortage; 3) Increasing of Land Selling and Sub-Contracting
Figure 2. The Map of Wumbubangka Village of Bombana District.
Figure 10. A large pit owned by one of the gold mining companies, located
overlapped with private land and area considered by villagers as the common
Figure 3. The Map of Rau-rau Village of Bombana District.
The use of suitable, affordable and user friendly Free and Open Source
Software (FOSS) application such as FrontlineSMS has proven to be
effective in stimulating discussion and to obtain meaningful information on
issues people confronted directly in the field. It also has proven to be
empowering and helping people in their practical needs as well as for
government agencies in delivering or monitoring their program. Although,
like others, the use of FOSS application might also have its own
constraints and challenges.
The use of FOSS application can therefore be integrated in local
government’s planning and evaluation activities towards disaster-related
risks program.
Figure 11. A hand-tractor and its operator hired to prepare for a
hectare of paddy field which is located next to mining pits
References
1.  Bryman, Alan. Ethnography. London: Sage, 2001. Print.
2.  Ellen, R.F., 1984. Ethnographic Research: A Guideto General Conduct
(ASA Research Methods in Social Anthopology), London:Academic
Press.

Training Dynamics
only used to catch phone network and therefore allows a laptop to send and receive an
SMS.
Figure 12. Paddy fields rely only on underground water as springs and rivers Figure 13. A farmer sub-contracted his backyard mixed-crops
By providing this training , we hope the participants can engage in deep and meaningful are blocked by mining companies garden to be dug for gold

discussion in identifying health risk impacts which will then to be used in designing their
health campaign posters. We will then use these information to help us in our Prevalence of Water Borne Diseases: 1) Sediment Contamination;
ethnographic research fieldwork . 2) Mercury Contamination

Methodology
Step 1: In-Training Observation
•  Purpose: Identifying themes of risks and impacts of ASGM
•  Identify and select representatives of seven villages affected by the impacts of gold
mining, along with staff of community health centers at sub-district, and technical staff
of district health department and district environmental management agency.
•  Train participants on the use of FrontlineSMS Application (for detail please visit:
http://www.frontlinesms.com/).
•  Ask participants to discuss and evaluate mining-related risks, and used these as
themes to be used in designing an awareness campaign program using the program.
Figure 4. Frontline SMS Training Participants from Bombana District
Health Department and Environmental Management Agency
Figure 6. Frontline SMS Training Participants from Sub-District
Community Health Centers and Village Health Posts
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge supports that the following institutions in
Figure 5. Trainees Designing Health Impacts Monitoring Program by
Using Auto Reply Function of FrontlineSMS Application
making this research and presentation possible:
• Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP)
• Australian National University (ANU)
• International Mining for Development Centre (IM4DC)
• AusAID – Government Partnership for Development (GPFD)
Figure 14. Workers in a Gold Mining Pit, Digging, Hosing and Sucking Figure 15. A Drum Mill Machine used to amalgamate gold flecks with
Gold Bearing Materials into a Sluice Box mercury
Figure 7. Presentation of a Health Campaign Poster by a trainee, while
others are testing it by sending SMS to broadband stick’s mobile number

Figure 16. Waste Water from a Drum Mill Being Dumped Straight into the Figure 17. A Mill Worker Sift Gold Amalgam from Drum by Using Bare
Small Creek Near by it Hand

Figure 8. Frontline SMS Training Participants from Village Staff and Figure 9. Enthusiasm of Village Staffs and Representatives in Discussing
Representatives Health Risks and Impacts from Gold Mining that matter to them.

Step 2: Ethnographic research method:

•  Ethnography: “the study of people in naturally occurring settings or ‘fields’ by means of
methods which capture their social meanings and ordinary activities” (Bryman, 2001).
•  Part of PhD Research Fieldwork
•  The fieldwork conducted from July 2013-December 2014.
•  Data collection method: 1) Interviews (some with selective key informants; Informal
conversational interviews); 2) Participant observation; 3) Informal group discussions.
•  As we required people to design campaign posters as part of the training, people
became involved in intense discussion regarding issues of risks of gold mining.
•  Lots of other relevant information of causal relationship with risks were also
revealed during discussion.
•  Concern raised about the sustainability issue of the use of the application. Figure 18. Dita, a Nine Year Old who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and
recently passed away, is suspected to have mercury intoxication from a
•  In practice, we found that those who have been trained used the software for lots test conducted an NGO Medical Doctor.

•  During fieldwork, we also validated information regarding risks of gold mining people of other purposes, e.g. communication between village head and staff, smoking
conveyed in training with the real situation. risks campaign and political campaign towards village head election. Figure 19. A Man in Wumbubangka Village Showing His Skin Rash
which He Claimed to Pick Up from Mining Pit Water