In Indonesia, Outlaw Gold Miners Poison Themselves to Survive
TALIWANG, Indonesia — The wildcat miner had something to prove: processing gold ore with liquid mercury was perfectly safe. So he drank some of the toxic chemical, choosing the promises of gold fever over the pain of mercury poisoning. “I have no worry about mercury,” bragged the fast-talking Syarafuddin Iskandar, 58. “I drank it. We…