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Forests & forest fires

Palm oil exports hit by contamination

Down to Earth No. 44, February 2000

A crisis in the oil palm industry is making a mockery of predictions that exports of the crop will help haul Indonesia out of its economic woes.

Export orders for Indonesian palm oil products fell sharply when the first shipment of palm oil, contaminated with diesel oil, was rejected by buyers in the Netherlands in October last year.

Protests at PT TEL pulp plant

Down to Earth No. 44, February 2000

Community anger is being directed at the newly completed plant in South Sumatra

The PT TEL paper pulp factory at Muara Enim, South Sumatra was completed in November 1999 and started production trials in December with a view to full production by January 2000.

Indigenous Peoples' demands for change

Down to Earth No 43, November 1999

AMAN, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago, was created as a result of the Indigenous Congress held in Jakarta in March. Since then, this first national indigenous peoples' organisation has begun to make its presence felt in a number of ways.

Regional meetings of AMAN have been held in several places between July and September.

Forest fires burn again

Down to Earth No. 43, November 1999

Indonesia has again been affected by serious forest fires in what is now recognised as an annual disaster.

Satellite images showed clearly that most fires originate from concessions owned by agribusiness and timber companies. Burning is the cheapest means for companies to convert logged-over forest to more profitable use as plantations.

Logging and palm oil threat to Siberut

Down to Earth No. 42, August 1999

The resumption of plans for logging and oil palm plantations on the biologically and culturally unique island of Siberut show how current 'reform era' measures still allow powerful elites to profit at the expense of indigenous communities.

Sumatra pulp plant protestors fight on

Down to Earth No. 42 1999

Construction of the US$1 billion PT Tanjung Enim Lestari (PT TEL) paper pulp plant in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, is nearly complete. Hundreds of contract workers will be laid off soon. Most of the equipment, from Scandinavian, Canadian and German companies backed by export credit agreements from their governments, has been installed. Production is expected to start in October. The plant's capacity is 450,000 tonnes of pulp per year.

Forestry Act fiercely opposed

Down to Earth No. 42, August 1999