Indonesia

Indonesia has great natural wealth but many of its citizens live in extreme poverty. Democratic progress has been made since the resigation of former president Suharto in 1998, but many civil society organisations feel that far too little progress has been made towards sustainable management of the country's resources, and ensuring that Indonesia's diverse communities have a real say in decisions which affect their future.

The RSPO - towards "sustainable palm oil"?

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Interview with Marcus Colchester

Marcus Colchester is Director of the international NGO, Forest Peoples Programme, and a member of DTE's management committee. He has participated with Indonesian NGO, Sawit Watch, in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as a member of its Criteria Working Group.

Pesticide use in oil palm plantations

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Pesticides, including herbicides, are commonly used in oil palm plantations, despite their adverse impacts on human beings and the environment.

In his keynote speech to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, October 2004, the then Indonesian agriculture minister, Bungaran Saragih, admitted the dangers of herbicides use in oil palm plantations(1).

Timber demand soars, fatal floods hit

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Flash floods hit southeastern Aceh in late April, killing at least nineteen people and injuring dozens more. The disaster can be linked to the huge demand for reconstruction timber in post-tsunami Aceh.

The floods brought rocks, logs and water crashing down hillsides, completely destroying people's homes late on April 26th, when most villagers were asleep. The villages of Lawe Gerger, Lawe Mengkudu, and Lawe Lak-Lak in Southeast Aceh district, were worst hit.

AMAN presents concerns to UN Permanent Forum

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Indigenous peoples are calling for land security to be included in the post-tsunami rehabilitation programme, and for the involvement of indigenous peoples, including women.

Presenting a statement to the May session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN in New York, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Acehnese indigenous network JKMA, repo

New land regulation will inflict misery

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Protests have greeted a new regulation on land issued by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in May.

The new Presidential Regulation on Land Procurement for Public Development, (Perpres No 36/2005) permits the compulsory acquisition of land for the public good. It lists some 21 types of public development, including toll roads and telephone networks.

The RSPO as a tool in the struggle for justice

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

The following is an English translation of an Indonesian article compiled from a DTE interview with Rudy Lumuru, Executive Director of Sawit Watch, the Indonesian NGO network on palm oil.

Indonesia has oil palm plantations extending over 6,059,441 hectares* of land and is the world's second largest producer of crude palm oil (CPO) after Malaysia. This plantation area is set to increase, in line with the government policy of opening investment opportunities in the sector.

Constitutional Court bows to pro-mining pressure

Down to Earth No 66 August 2005

Campaigners against mining in protected forests were disappointed in July, when Indonesia's Constitutional Court ruled in favour of mining companies. Nevertheless, foreign multinationals have not got it all their own way.

Indonesia's Constitutional Court, established less than two years ago, was welcomed by many who hoped it could put an end to the arbitrary exercise of executive power.