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

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DTE publications

Mining in 'protected' forests

Down to Earth No. 47, November 2000


Mining companies are lobbying to change legislation which prohibits open-pit mining in areas designated as protected forests.

"Forest lands can only be used for development needs other than forestry in Protection and Production Forest areas . . .  No open-pit mining is permissible within Protection Forest areas." 
(Article 38, Forestry Law 41, 1999)

Indonesia's new forestry law, passed last year, prohibits open-pit mining in forests classified as 'protected forests'.

WALHI opposes PT CPM

Down to Earth No. 47, November 2000


The Central Sulawesi chapter of environmental organisation WALHI has been making the case against gold-mining by PT Citra Palu Minerals in the Poboya-Paneki area of East Palu sub-district, Central Sulawesi. The company has been exploring for gold in the area for the past 3-4 years. The area is a Taman Raya Hutan - a forest park - designed for conservation and watershed protection. Open-pit mining is illegal in protected forests.

Aceh: ecological war zone

Down to Earth No. 47, November 2000

Natural resources are one of the main factors underlying the independence struggle in Aceh, but decades of plunder have left them severely depleted.

The brutal murder of the internationally known Acehnese human rights activist, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, reminded the world in September that the northern-most tip of Sumatra remains a dangerous place. Despite a 'humanitarian pause' signed by Indonesia and Acehnese independence leaders in June this year, the murders, disappearances and torture have continued.

In Brief... DTE 47 - November 2000

Down to Earth No. 47, November 2000

 

In Brief...


No more forest conversion until forestry plan in place

The forestry ministry has said there will be no further conversion of natural forests for at least two years until a national forest management programme has been approved.

Indigenous communities and democratic control

Down to Earth No. 46, August 2000

The rights of Indonesia's tens of millions of indigenous people are not properly recognised under Indonesian law and forest-dwellers are at a particular disadvantage. Although some attention is given to customary law (hukum adat) in the 1999 Forestry Act and in other pieces of legislation, adat land rights are not recognised in forest areas because all forests are categorised as state-owned.

Democracy, control and natural resources

Down to Earth No. 46, August 2000

The tension between state control over resources and local communities' demands for 'sovereignty'.

The tug of war between the centre and the regional governments has dominated the debate about regional autonomy in the media, in parliament and among Indonesia's creditors.

Regional autonomy, political will and the economy

Down to Earth No. 46, August 2000

In a recent article outlining the history of decentralisation in Indonesia, Trevor Buising states that the changes to be introduced by Law 22 "are not as great as imagined".