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Indigenous Peoples

Multinational corporations lining up to profit from West Papua's resources

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

Another year, another set of record profits from West Papua's mineral resources.

The Westminster conference centre just alongside the UK's Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey seem a long way away from the frontier town of Timika or, for that matter, the prawn fisherfolk of Bintuni Bay in West Papua. However, each year this is the scene of the Annual General Meeting of Rio Tinto PLC, a 40% joint venture stakeholder in the expanded Grasberg mine in the highlands of West Papua.

Oil palm plantations? Carbon credits? Papua's forests targeted

Down to Earth No.75, November 2007


Large areas of Papua's rich and diverse forests are being targeted by Indonesian and overseas investors for conversion into oil palm plantations. At the same time, discussions are in progress to reserve large areas of Papua's forest to generate carbon credits for trade on international markets.

Climate change, 'Avoided Deforestation' and Indonesia

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


Mounting global concern over climate change and the link to deforestation has refocused international attention on the need to protect the world's forests. Rampant forest and peatland destruction in Indonesia means that the country is one of the world's top three emitters of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming.

Peoples Plantations': help or hindrance in tackling deforestation?

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


Indonesia's forestry department is allocating millions of hectares of land to a new scheme aimed at increasing the supply for wood for the pulp and timber industries, as well as tackling poverty. But serious flaws with the 'peoples plantations' programme are raising concerns that the scheme could do more harm than good.


Indonesia's forestry department announced target figures for 'Peoples Plantations' (Hutan Tanaman Rakyat - HTR) in February this year.

Indigenous Women's workshop at AMAN Congress

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


The position and role of indigenous women facing development aggression.

By Devi Anggraini1

 

Why does the government issue licences for investors to take away our livelihoods? We can't exist without our livelihoods.

Government, business and communities

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


DTE interviewed Dr Afrizal, a sociology lecturer at Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra. His thesis, entitled 'The Nagari Community, Business and the State', is a detailed examination of the relationship between these three elements through the example of oil palm plantations.

Tangguh - adapting to the West Papuan context?

Down to Earth No. 73, May 2007


It has been two years since Down to Earth's last detailed report on BP's huge Tangguh gas project in Bintuni Bay, West Papua. Surprisingly little has changed.


From BP's point of view much has changed at Tangguh - the project is now well into its construction phase (70% complete as of March 2007) and is due to go 'onstream' in 2008. However, the same issues, the same concerns, the same doubts keep surfacing. How can this mega-project possibly fit into the realities of West Papuan life?