LEWOLEBA, Indonesia (UCAN) -- Catholic priests and brothers serving on Lembata Island in eastern Indonesia have issued another statement protesting a planned gold-mining project, one year after they issued the first.

Signing the statement on May 15 were 24 diocesan priests, three Divine Word priests and two Divine Word brothers. This followed their bimonthly recollection in Lewoleba, 1,850 kilometers east of Jakarta.

Three other diocesan and two Divine Word priests who could not attend that day also had their names included in the statement.

Lembata Island, part of East Nusa Tenggara province, is served by Larantuka Catholic diocese, based on neighboring Flores Island.

Four priests whose parishes are in the planned gold-mining locations went with Father Philipus da Gomez, head of Lembata deanery, on May 22 to hand the statement to Andreas Duli Manuk, Lembata district's head. The gold-mining efforts are focusing on Buyasuri, Lebantukan and Omesuri sub-districts.

The priests and brothers also sent copies of the statement to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet Alexander Tallo and Bishop Fransiskus Kopong Kung of Larantuka.

Another dozen copies went to other deanery heads, local legislative members and governmental officials, as well as P.T. Merukh Enterprise Cooper (MEC). In August 2006, MEC signed a working contract with the district government to explore for and mine gold. It began its exploratory activities thereafter.

The May 15 statement declares, "We Catholic priests serving in Lembata deanery re-express and reaffirm our disapproval of the planned gold-mining activities in Lembata. We adhere to our stand and commitment."

The statement also asserts that the district head did not respond to their earlier statement, dated May 10, 2007. Besides, the second statement notes, "within the past year, we have found new issues that make people uneasy."

One issue is the transfer of customary land of three communities -- Tuamado, Puakoyong, Waalupang -- to the district head. Customary land is land that the community collectively owns, and local customs regulate the use of the land.

The priests charged in their statement that a document on the transfer of Tuamado customary land has irregularities. They maintain that the district head and several community leaders signed the document on Feb. 21 in Lewoleba, but the document says the signing took place in Tuamado on Dec. 13, 2007.

According to the priests' statement, local people and Church workers never witnessed any transfer of customary land in mid-December. Community leaders purportedly approved the transfer because the district government offered enticements such as developing apartments, schools, hospitals and roads.

The priests asked the district head to respond to their latest statement by July, and suggested that dialogue on the mining plan take place between the local Church and the district government.

At a May 2 seminar, Puakoyong community member Abu Achmad had expressed disapproval of the plan. "Communication Forum for Lembata Gold Mine Project" organized the seminar in Lewoleba with the help of the Franciscan-run Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation.

Achmad, 65, a Muslim, told the 600 or so participants that the mining issue has also sparked accusations of Christian proselytism in his community. "I swear to God that I am still a Muslim," he declared at the seminar. Even so, he acknowledged that he is fighting the mining plan together with Catholic priests. "They always respect me as a Muslim," Achmad pointed out.

Catholics account for most people in East Nusa Tenggara.

Muhammad Pati, another Muslim of Puakoyong community and one of the community leaders who approved the customary land transfer, nonetheless admitted that he worries about a "horizontal conflict" among local people.

Father da Gomez, after meeting with the district head, told reporters that pros and cons of the transfer became the basis of reflection for the priests and brothers before they issued their recent statement.

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