Kicking up dust

Compensation demand

During a meeting with PT MAS representatives and officials from two other mining companies who later joined the discussion, villagers called for compensation, river normalization and the construction of flood barriers to reduce the risk of future flooding.

Sumhayana said the companies' response left villagers disappointed. Instead of offering immediate solutions, she said, representatives asked for a week to consult with their respective management teams.

"I was disappointed with their response. Flooding has happened repeatedly. They should have acted faster. It has been ignored for months, and now they are delaying it again," Sumhayana said.

The Jakarta Post contacted PT MAS seeking clarification on Muara Maung residents' complaints about flooding and environmental impact. The company confirmed the July 16 meeting with residents but declined to address the specific concerns raised.

According to Statistics Indonesia, the country exported roughly 524 million metric tons of coal for all uses in 2025. Data from the International Energy Agency confirms Indonesia holds its spot as the world's largest exporter of thermal coal used for power generation.

The Iran war triggered a brief price spike, increased Asian gas-to-coal switching, and caused Jakarta to loosen strict planned production cuts.

Indonesia initially planned to cut 2026 production down to 600 million tons, but the war prompted the government to raise output quotas back up and consider centralized state export controls, according to Heatmap News, a new media company focused on climate change.

THE JAKARTA POST-AGENCIES