The feeling in my heart and blood is that I do not like seeing this. One of the most dramatic impacts which mining can have is the loss of land by people who are dependent on it. For individuals, groups and communities who live largely from the land and the harvests it produces, the loss of control over what happens to it is a central concern. For agrarian communities the loss of their land is guaranteed to produce anxiety, insecurity and fear. It means the loss of that which is the basis of their livelihood and economic future, not to mention their culture and sense of self-identity.
Monetary compensation is at best only a partial substitute.
It brings no cultural legacy nor sense of identity and, because it is so easily used up or squandered, offers little security for the future. All it can do, if it is sufficient and is handled properly, is provide some income for the present. But often, if the amount is too small, it doesn't even do that. It is we believe a fundamental right that they should be able to retain control over what happens to the land on which they depend, and which is the basis of their economic and social well-being. Mining companies must accept the right of land-owners to negotiate access to their land, to determine whether or not exploration or mining takes place there.