Forests & forest fires

DTE 99-100, October 2014

DTE asks Kasmita Widodo, director of the Ancestral Domain Registration Agency (BRWA[1]), about his experience of gender in participatory mapping with indigenous communities in Indonesia.

Down to Earth 87, December 2010

This article is based on a presentation by YMTM (Yayasan Mitra Tani Mandiri) held at a meeting of Caritas Australia partners, in October 2010. DTE also interviewed YMTM representatives Joseph Asa and Hilaria Kou.

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

Posthumous award for indigenous leader

Bapak Raja J.P. Rahail, an indigenous leader from the Kei islands in eastern Indonesia was posthmously awarded the Asia Indigenous Peoples Prize at a meeting of Asian indigenous groups in July. He was praised for his role in strengthening indigenous institutions and for his handling of conflict in the area.

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

 

New regulation means cheap forests for mining

A new government regulation on non-tax income from forest areas has caused outrage among NGOs by setting low prices for the use of forests by mining companies and other non-forestry sector users.

The regulation - PP 2/2008 - sets the rate for mining in protection forests from Rp 2,250,000 - Rp3 million (around US$240-320) per hectare per year. In production forests, the rate is Rp 1.8 million - 2.4 million (around US$192 - 255) per year.

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

Police open fire on farmers in Lombok

Indonesian human rights NGO Elsam has protested against the police shooting of farmers attending a national meeting in Lombok. Twenty seven people suffered gunshot injuries on September 18th when police dispersed a farmers' union general assembly organised by the Nusa Tenggara Barat union and the Federation of Indonesian Farmers Unions (FSPI). Eight people were detained at the meeting, which was attended by farmers' representatives from 26 countries.

Down to Earth No 61  May 2004


Six people are reported dead after police fired on protesters at Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara province. This is the tragic outcome of the local authorities' hard-line approach to clearing coffee growers from land designated as state-owned forest.

Down to Earth No 60  February 2004


Indonesia's peasant farmers are being forced off their lands to make way for large-scale plantations, mining, forestry and industrial projects.