‘A catastrophe unfolding’: Nickel miners criticised for interacting with remote tribe

A clip has emerged of a miner interacting with members of a remote tribe. Activists say the vision exposes the dark side of how electric vehicles are made.

Environmentalists have made a desperate plea to Tesla boss Elon Musk after “horrific” footage circulated this week of mining workers interacting with a remote tribe in Indonesia.

Multiple indigenous tribes live in the Halmahera forest which is currently being mined for nickel to be used in electric car batteries.

Human rights organisation Survival International’s Research and Advocacy Officer Callum Russell said the tribe members in the footage could be dead within a matter of days as they have “no immunity” when it comes to outside diseases.

“We know that when these indigenous communities get in contact with outsiders, they die,” Mr Russell said.

“And in general, between around two-thirds of the tribe will die of disease alone when they are contacted.”

One of the workers can be seen holding the arms of the tribe members. Picture: Supplied

Miners have been spotted interacting with indigenous tribe members. Picture: Supplied

The local tribes in the area are also being impacted due to the deforestation caused by the mining.

Survival International said they have now sent more than 20,000 emails to Tesla and are lobbying various other electric companies in regards to the “catastrophe unfolding” in the area, where 17 companies are currently mining nickel.

In the footage, a mining worker invites three members into their camp.

They can be seen eating rice while workers surround them, taking photos and videos of the tribe members.

The trio are part of the Hongana Manyama tribe.

About 3000 Hongana Manyawa people live in the rainforests of Halmahera Island, with between 300 and 500 still uncontacted.

“They are among the most vulnerable people in the world,” Mr Russell said.

“It’s an absolute tragedy and a catastrophe unfolding on the island of Halmahera. It’s very much the last thing that should be happening.”

Mr Russell said there was an irony in car vehicle companies causing deforestation and potentially spreading disease to indigenous tribes while also espousing messages of environmentalism.

Workers can be seen surrounding the tent and taking photos of the trio. Picture: Supplied

The WBN mine is the biggest nickel mine in the world. Picture: Supplied

The WBN mine in Halmahera is the largest nickel mine in the world and is a joint venture between French mining company Eramet and Chinese company Tsingshan. The mine began operations in 2019.

Australian company Theiss signed a $125 million contract to provide the project with ore loading, hauling and stockpile maintenance from May 2023 to May 2027.

The companies have been criticised for operating on the land of the Hongana Manyawa people without their consent, where they have lived for tens of thousands of years.

The Weda Bay Nickel mine which sits on the Hongana Manyawa’s land. Picture: Eramet

Telsa currently does not source their nickel from the WBN mine, however, Elon Musk was in Indonesia this week as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo continues to push ahead with his mission for the nation to become one the biggest EV battery provider in the world.

Mr Russell said Tesla had the power to make a stand against the deforestation of the Halmahera forest by refusing to mine there.

Tesla has previously said they would be looking into the possibility of a no-go zone in the region, however, have yet to make an official stance.

Last year footage of two Hongana Manyawa men defending their land with spears and weapons went viral. Picture: Supplied

The men shot the bulldozers with arrows and waved spears at mining workers. Picture: Supplied

However, they continue to consider the possibility of establishing an EV battery plant in the country.

“This is a massive catastrophe unfolding and the situation is incredibly urgent,” Mr Russell said.

“They’ve been living in peace with the rainforest, living incredible sustainable lives, and now there’s this apocalyptic horror that’s happening.”

A Hongana Manyawa man who has uncontacted relatives in the forest told Survival International a message for electric vehicle companies and those who buy electric cars.

“This is the message directly from the forest, please don’t destroy our forest, we need it,” he said.

Originally published as ‘A catastrophe unfolding’: Nickel miners criticised for interacting with remote tribe