00:00Just beneath the soil lies coal. In Merangin, Jambi province, illegal mining operates in broad daylight, hidden among palm oil
00:08plantations.
00:09With gold prices rising, activity here is intensified. For safety reasons, we cannot show their faces.
00:18There's no farming here. The land isn't fertile. There are no factory jobs either, so we don't really have a
00:25choice.
00:25The Indonesia Mining Institute estimates illegal mines produce around 120 tons of gold a year, nearly matching the country's official
00:35output.
00:37Authorities say the trade was worth up to US$59 billion between 2023 and 2025.
00:45Small illegal mining sites can yield up to 10 grams of gold a day, while miners earn just US$12,
00:53risking raids and fatal accidents.
00:59We know this work is dangerous, and we're afraid. But we do it to support our families.
01:06While he, the environmental NGO says illegal gold mining, has destroyed 44,000 hectares of forest,
01:13increasing the risk of floods and landslides, while mercury has polluted rivers.
01:18Yet, the government admits shutting the mines down completely could harm local livelihoods.
01:26Yet, the government admits shutting the mines down completely could harm local livelihoods.
01:31According to the government, theates of the U.S. Department of Health, the United States,
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