Jakarta, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Recently, Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources revealed that Chinese nationals have been involved in illegal Indonesia’s gold mining operations in West Kalimantan. Their activities have left massive holes up to 1,600 meters deep in the Indonesian landscape, resulting in losses equivalent to hundreds of kilograms of gold and silver.
However, this is not the first time Chinese miners have targeted Indonesia’s gold. For over 300 years, Kalimantan, known as an island rich in gold deposits, has drawn Chinese miners, some of whom exploited the land and even formed quasi-independent organizations that wielded significant power.
A Historic Rush for Indonesia’s Gold
The arrival of Chinese miners in Kalimantan can be traced back to 1740, when the Sultan of Mempawah invited 20 Chinese workers to mine gold. The Chinese were highly skilled in mining and had a reputation for a strong work ethic, setting them apart from other ethnic groups and local residents.
According to Bondan Winarno’s Bre-x: Sebungkah Emas di Kaki Pelangi (1997), the success of this first group sparked interest among other sultans, leading to a large influx of Chinese nationals seeking to mine Indonesia’s gold. Many Chinese migrants entered profit-sharing agreements with local rulers and were given special privileges.
Historian Denys Lombard, in Nusa Jawa Silang Budaya (1999), writes that the Chinese miners were granted housing, legal protection, and special tools to facilitate gold mining. This economic boom not only benefitted the local rulers but also attracted traders from Europe and the Middle East, eager to tap into Kalimantan’s gold wealth.
The Rise of Powerful Mining Organizations
Over time, Chinese miners in Kalimantan established their own organizations, known as kongsi, to control gold mining operations. Any Rahmayani’s research, Montrado 1818-1858: Dinamika Kota Tambang Emas (2015), identified at least 14 such organizations, which she referred to as “republics” because of the way they operated like independent states.
These organizations had the power to create laws, resolve disputes, collect taxes, and even mint their own currency, significantly impacting the areas where they operated.
But as these organizations grew stronger, relations with local rulers soured. The Chinese miners rebelled against what they saw as unfair tribute demands and began bringing in more workers to seize control of local gold mines. This led to numerous conflicts between the Chinese, local rulers, and indigenous people.
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In 1842, for instance, the Thaikong organization clashed with the Dayak people after seizing a Dayak-owned gold mine. Backed by the Sultanate of Sambas, the Dayaks fought back, resulting in violent confrontations. Repeated clashes of this nature eventually led the Dutch colonial government to outlaw Chinese mining activities and disband their organizations.
With their operations shut down, the once-wealthy Chinese miners were forced to seek new livelihoods, many turning to trade, gambling, and other ventures to survive in Kalimantan.
(Ray)
