Clips from Iran and East Kalimantan misrepresented as mining impact in Indonesian coral hotspot
- Published on October 27, 2025 at 08:23
- 3 min read
- By AFP Indonesia
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Environmental groups have captured images of sediment run-off turning the otherwise emerald green waters around Indonesia's Raja Ampat islands murky brown, where they warn nickel mining threatens one of the world's most important marine biodiversity and coral hotspots. However, a video circulating in social media posts claiming it showed land around the islands turning red is in fact taken in Iran, not Indonesia.
"Rainwater flows into the sea. Raja Ampat turns red due to mining. Destroyed by foreign and local oligarchs, supported by greedy and corrupt officials," reads Indonesian-language sticker text on a TikTok video posted on October 6, 2025.
The video shows people standing on cliffs as red-coloured mud runs off them into the sea. It then cuts to a clip of a barren hillside.
"Papua is being sold by Bahlil. Bahlil is Papuan, a traitor to the Papuan people," the sticker text continues, referring to Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia.
Indonesia's Raja Ampat is is part of the famed Coral Triangle, beloved by divers for its marine riches.
Following outcry from activists and residents, the government revoked permits for four out of five nickel mining companies operating in the cluster of islands and shoals in Southwest Papua Province in June (archived link). In September, it allowed one company -- PT Gag Nikel -- to restart operations, arguing the impact "can be properly mitigated."
But NGOs say serious damage has already been done, and there is little sign of clean-up. Images captured by the groups in the region show sediment run-off turning otherwise emerald waters murky brown, downhill from stripped hilltops.
Posts claiming the video of the red cliffs purportedly showing the impact of mining operations in Raja Ampat also appeared elsewhere on TikTok.
Users left comments indicating the video depicted the situation in the Southeast Asian islands.
"This is the result of greedy officials," said one user.
"Let me say it once again: this country is already ruined," another commented.
But the clips were taken elsewhere.
Unrelated footage
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the video led to a February 9, 2025 Persian-language Instagram post which stated the video showed heavy rain at Red Beach, in Iran's Hormuz island (archived link).
The soil's vivid colour is due to a high concentration of iron oxide (archived link).
The Instagram user who shot the clip confirmed the location and sent AFP its metadata, which states it was filmed on February 8.
A geotagged photo of the beach on Google Maps shows the same rocky features as the ones seen in the Instagram video (archived link).
A separate reverse image search on Google found the clip of the stripped forest corresponds to a TikTok video shared on October 16, 2023 (archived link).
The user added a location tag for Indonesia's East Kalimantan province, more than 1,500 kilometres (960 miles) from Raja Ampat.
AFP geolocated the clip to a section of road leading to the Kotabangun subdistrict in East Kalimantan. The blue-roofed buildings can be seen on Google Earth Street View imagery, while the cleared section of hill to the back can also be seen from satellite imagery -- it has since been planted with oil palm (archived here and here).
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to mining in Raja Ampat.
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