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DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

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DTE publications

Struggle against logging goes on in Mentawai

Down to Earth No 68 February 2006

Will legal action help save forests and livelihoods in the Mentawai Islands? The following is adapted from an Indonesian language report by WALHI West Sumatra and interviews with Yayasan Citra Mandiri, an NGO which focuses on Mentawai issues.

The Mentawai Islands, off Sumatra's western coast, are renowned for the unique culture of their indigenous communities and the rare species that have evolved in this isolated rainforest archipelago.

One step forward, two steps back

Down to Earth No 68 February 2006

United Fiber System (UFS) is going ahead with a wood chip mill and paper pulp plant in South Kalimantan as well as running the Kiani Kertas plant in East Kalimantan - all in the face of international opposition.

UFS received a boost to its plans to become one of the world's major paper pulp producers when the Indonesian Supreme Court ruled in its favour in a dispute between the company and the Indonesian government in early October 2005.

Forests Update 2005

Down to Earth No 67 November 2005

New measures to promote fastwood plantations

Forestry minister Kaban has issued five new measures aimed at reducing illegal logging and reviving the timber industry. These support his policy announcement made in July about speeding up the establishment of fastwood plantations to supply the country's pulp and paper plants. Foreign companies will now be allowed to invest in timber plantations.

Kalimantan groups call for sustainable development

Down to Earth No 67 November 2005

Four leading Indonesian NGOs organised a workshop and seminar in early October on the policy implications of natural resource exploitation in Kalimantan. The meeting was attended by representatives of various communities affected by large-scale plantation and mining projects plus 21 NGOs from Kalimantan and 2 from Sarawak.

Chip mill will put more pressure on South Kalimantan forests and livelihoods

Down to Earth No 67 November 2005

Construction work has started at a wood chip mill on Laut Island, South Kalimantan. It is part of a planned development of the pulp and paper industry in the province which threatens to destroy forests and impoverish local communities.

The new chip mill, which will have the capacity to produce 700,000 tonnes of wood chips, is being built by PT Mangium Anugrah Lestari (PT MAL) on Pulau Laut - a large island off the southeast coast of South Kalimantan province.

Legal or sustainable?

Down to Earth No 67 November 2005

As part of the international campaign to crack down on illegal logging, stop forest destruction and eliminate timber smuggling, the Indonesian government has been pressed to agree a definition of what is and isn't 'legal' in Indonesia's forests.

Forest fires in Sumatra

Down to Earth No 67 November 2005

"There is no such thing as a spontaneous forest fire in Indonesia", forestry minister Kaban pronounced, as smoke from forest fires in Sumatra once again caused serious air pollution in Malaysia and Singapore from July to September.

The minister stated publicly that the fires are due to competing claims over 'unproductive' forest areas. There are some 17 million ha of forest land in Indonesia which has been over-logged or zoned for conversion, according to officials.