Richard Ness : Trial Log : Court Hearing #5 on 7 October 2005

Court Hearing #5 on 7 October 2005 - 07 Oct 2005
by Eric


1. Witness Rasit Rahmat

• Witness lived in Buyat since 1982. [He] moved from Buyat to Dominanga.
• Witness stated that his income and the fish had decreased, and the fishing took a distance of 5 miles after the mine operated in 1996.
• Witness stated that strange diseases in Pantai Buyat appear after PTNMR begun its operation e.g. itchiness, headaches, lumps. Witness alone suffered from lumps, however until now there is no doctor who can conclude the disease and the cause of the disease.
• Witness directly went to Jakarta for medication. He never went to Puskesmas. The funds [to send Witness to Jakarta was] were collected/raised from the community. The person who accompanied [the Witness] was Dr. Jane Pangemanan. Witness was hospitalized in RSCM and MMC. However, Witness confessed that since he moved to Dominanga, his health getting better and now he feel healthy.
• Witness confirmed that he signed a settlement agreement with PTNMR, Prior to the signing, there was socialization with the

The response of Accused I and Accused II:

• The Accused rejected Witness’ statement on the fish catch location because Witness was only speculating and it did not seem realistic to row his boat 5 miles each direction.
• The Accused left it to the doctor to evaluate the health problem suffered by the Witness. It requires a competent person to diagnose what was the disease that Witness suffered from. However, the Accused was of the opinion that it is very strange for the Witness, who claimed himself as one of the sickest, had never went to the doctor. Prior going to Jakarta and that he was healthy enough to row his boat 5 miles each direction.

2. Witness Juhria Ratunbahe

• [Witness] moved from Bitung to Buyat Pantai on 1977. Now lives in Dominanga.
• Witness stated that prior to the presence of PTNMR, there was no disease, however after PTNMR appeared, the diseases begun to appear. Witness suffered from seasonal itchiness, it was healed at one point of time and appeared again at other times.
• Prior to the examination carried out by Dr. Sandra Rotty, NGO people, namely Yul Takaliwang and Deny took Witness to Jakarta. Witness was examined at RSCM and MMC.
• Witness did not know the disease, but she knows that her body contained arsenic and mercury.
• Witness ‘know’ tailings, [and stated] that the distance from the beach to the end of the pipe mouth is 900 meter.
• Since Witness moved to Dominanga, she was completely healed.

The response of Accused I and Accused II:

• The Accused rejected the relation between the diseases suffered by Witness with tailings because first the Witness stated she was eating only vegetables.
• The Accused is quite sure that Witness’ itchiness does not come from tailings. Since the Witness did not consume any food from the sea.

3. Witness Dr. Jane Maureen Pangemanan M.Kes.

• Witness was requested to carry out a free medication and examination for the people of Buyat Pantai by Yayasan Suara Nurani (the Suara Nurani Foundation). There were 97 people examined [in one day]. During the examination, 7 general practitioners assisted the Witness. Witness had never represented UNSRAT. The fund for the examination and trips to Jakarta were collected from Kelola Foundation, Suara Nurani Foundation and Aryanti Baramuli. [Golkar Political Party and DPD member]
• Witness noticed that there was similarity of the diseases suffered by the people of Buyat Pantai, e.g.: cramps, headache, skin problem.
• Witness did not carry out any laboratory examination.
• Witness stated the people of Buyat Pantai suffered from neurology disturbances (neurology), but she could not conclude any diagnosis, because there must additional examination. An action-reaction symptom between the tailings and the people disease cannot be concluded.
• Witness accompanied the people (in different sequences) to Jakarta. The person who funded the trip was Aryanti Baramuli.
• Witness stated that there was a laboratory examination in Jakarta which exhibit that the blood of Buyat’s people contained heavy metal.
• The itchiness suffered by the people was seasonal, it is occasionally healed and appear again.
• Witness stated she did not see any relation between the tailings and the disease suffered by the community because there was no research to concluded so.

The response of Accused I and II:

• The Accused stated that during the hearing Witness had over reacted in making fake news on Minamata disease. It was the Witness who actually made this case occurred by reporting non confirmed information to the Police.
• Accused noted that the Witness now denied the statement she made in the dossier/BAP alleging pollution and contamination in Buyat Bay.
• The Accused strongly criticized the irresponsible action of Jane Pangemanan, which panicked the community of Buyat Pantai and made his associates go to into the prison for 32 days.