Jakarta, June 9 -- Deputy chair of Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR), Evita Nursanty, has asked Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to evaluate all mining concession permits issued in Raja Ampat.

"Raja Ampat is the future of tourism, geological conservation, culture, and the sustainability of our seas. Do not sacrifice Indonesia and Raja Ampat just for the sake of a handful of nickel companies," she urged in a statement released on Monday.

According to Nursanty, the government needs to take a firm stance on nickel mines on the small islands in Raja Ampat. If those mines endanger the ecosystem, they must be closed without exception.

The islands have also been included in the Waigeo Tourism Developme...