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Background
Minahasa is in a remote coastal area of North Sulawesi. The mine infrastructure area is within the Minahasa Selatan administrative area. Culturally, the people of the region are Minahasan, Gorontalo and Mongondow. The predominant faith is Muslim and Christian.
During the lifespan of the mine, the local population increased, partly as a result of economic activity. Of the 15 nearby villages, the largest is Ratatotok.
Each village has a leader, known as a kepala desa. The region of Minahasa Selatan, made up of all the villages, has an overall 'regent,' known as a Bupati.
The tiny village of Buyat Pantai, which at its peak had approximately 250 inhabitants, sits on the beach on private land. It is made up primarily of recent arrivals from other areas, including the offshore islands. Given its temporary and recent nature, local authorities have been reluctant to invest in public infrastructure. PTNMR built basic infrastructure, such as public washing and toilet structures, and made power available, but was prevented from supporting Buyat Pantai further by the legal owner of the land.
The village continues to thrive today with fisherman daily plying the waters of Buyat Bay and selling their daily catch to markets. Recently, in tandem with the growing popularity of Lakban Beach (Buyat Bay) as a tourist attraction and weekend family spot the villager of Buyat Pantai have outfitted a glass bottom boat to give tours of the colorful reefs growing just under the surface in Buyat Bay.
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