Political Ecology of Tin Mining A Discourse Analysis of the Human-Environment Relation in the Study of Illegal Tin Mining on Bangka Island

Bangka Island has been known as the most important tin producer in the world. Tin has developed the economy of the local people and even Indonesia in general. Unfortunately, mining is not only operated by corporations, but also by local people without proper procedures, resulting in a ruined landscape and ecosystem. Eventually, on 8th February 2016 a flood occurred and influenced the emotions of the victims in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka. Scientists debate whether what happened in Pangkal Pinang and another area in 2016 were caused by inappropriate reclamations of illegal mining practices, or simply a natural disaster. This research is a case study of illegal practices of mining in Bangka and presents local newspapers as analytical tools to understand the role of tin mining in the Bangka region and how illegal tin mining plays a role in both society and nature. A Political Ecology perspective is used to look at the human-environment relation and how human and nature act as separate entities, but in the end are connected and bounded