PT Timah Tbk has agreed to meet the demands of the miners to increase the purchase price of tin sand with a stannum (SN) 70 content of 70 percent from Rp260,000 to Rp300,000 per kilogram. The agreement to raise the tin price was made after Timah’s President Director, Restu Widiyantoro, met with the miners during a large-scale demonstration at Timah’s headquarters on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Islands, on Monday, October 6, 2025.
“I have negotiated with my staff and the community, and we agree to set the price of tin sand at Rp300,000 per kilogram SN 70,” said Restu.
Restu stated that they had also received instructions from President Prabowo Subianto, who emphasized the importance of utilizing tin resources for the people’s well-being. “Our employees, numbering more than four thousand, are all from Bangka Belitung. We want everyone to be able to function and benefit from this tin,” he said.
Siti, a representative of the miners from Lubuk Besar in Bangka Tengah Regency, said that the price of tin should increase because it would greatly help the local economy. “Please also refrain from arresting miners who are merely trying to make a living. If there are arrests, how can we sell tin when there are no buyers?” she said.
A representative of the miners from Bangka Selatan, Rosidi, said that a fair price for tin at the miner level would be at least Rp200,000 per kilogram SN for wet tin sand.
Rosidi expressed the community’s hope to mine in the People’s Mining Area (WPR) as nothing more than wishful thinking, as it has never been realized due to regulations. He stated that the process of establishing the WPR and granting small-scale mining permits will be monitored, even though it will take a long time.
Rosidi added that President Prabowo cannot underestimate the dynamics in the tin mining sector in Bangka Belitung, as it can cause turmoil.
A riot broke out during the tin miners’ protest at PT Timah’s headquarters. The demonstrators damaged the office facilities, knocked down the fences, and smashed the windows, causing severe damage to the Timah office.
The protest resulted in casualties among the demonstrators, civilians, police officers, and journalists due to exposure to tear gas. Even traders and children became victims after tear gas entered residential areas.
Several journalists covering the protest also fell victim to tear gas. They experienced stinging eyes, a burning sensation in the nose, and dizziness. There was even a journalist who was hit by a water cannon spray and suffered swelling on the forehead.
The protest was triggered by miners’ unrest over low tin prices and reluctance to sell tin due to fear of the Nanggala and Halilintar task forces, which were established by PT Timah and the government, respectively. Both task forces are aggressively cracking down on illegal tin mining.
