Kalimantan

 

 

Down to Earth No. 46, August 2000

Another major obstacle to the sustainable management of natural resources is the continuing prominence of the military in many regions. Its continued high profile role from province to village level means that it is a potent threat to the success of regional autonomy, where 'success' means managing local resources sustainably, sharing benefits equitably and respecting human rights.

Down to Earth No. 46, August 2000

The idea of devolving authority to regional centres has been around for a long time. Indeed, incipient movements for autonomy and regional independence were strong in the first years of after independence, but clumsy CIA support triggered the centralist policies of the Sukarno regime. (Kahin, A.R. and Kahin, G.McT., 1995. Subversion as Foreign Policy: the Secret Eisenhower and Dulles Debacle in Indonesia. The New Press, New York).

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

The situation of Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan is critical. Its head, Toni Suhartono, reckons 10 hectares of forest are cleared daily by illegal loggers. Much of this is the result of highly organised operations. Some 50 trucks per day transport logs out of the Park to the boom town of Sangatta where middle-men export them from the local port.

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

The onset of the dry season saw the prospect of another regional 'haze' crisis as fires set by plantation companies clearing land spread out of control in the dry weather. A pall of smoke began to spread over parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan early in March and pollution levels reached hazardous levels. Indonesia's neighbours, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei sent letters urging the Indonesian government to take action.

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

Indigenous communities whose forests have been plundered by logging companies are demanding compensation for the damage. Deprived of the protection they enjoyed under former President Suharto, the companies are having to take them seriously.

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

Heavily armed police arrested eleven villagers on March 14th at Aurora Gold's Serjuan mine site in Central Kalimantan. According to an Indonesian NGO report, the villagers - including three children aged between 10 and 12 years - were taken at gun-point into company vehicles and driven to the company's camp. Nine of them, including the children, were then transferred to the North Barito police headquarters at Muara Teweh.

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

Opposition is mounting to large-scale mining in Indonesia as communities speak out about its effects on their lives and the environment, but foreign companies are warning the Wahid government not to change the contracts they signed during the Suharto regime.

Indonesia's foreign-dominated mining industry is on the defensive.