Home › Themes › Theme: Foreign investment ›

Newsletter articles

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

To get on the mailing list for e-updates with links to the latest articles or PDF file of the full newsletter, click in the green box on the homepage.

The Bahasa Indonesia list offers links to selected articles from each newsletter issue.

To get on our  mailing list for hard copies (£10 a year, English newsletter only) send a request to dte@gn.apc.org.

DTE publications

Chip mill will put more pressure on South Kalimantan forests and livelihoods

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

Construction work has started at a wood chip mill on Laut Island, South Kalimantan. It is part of a planned development of the pulp and paper industry in the province which threatens to destroy forests and impoverish local communities.

The new chip mill, which will have the capacity to produce 700,000 tonnes of wood chips, is being built by PT Mangium Anugrah Lestari (PT MAL) on Pulau Laut - a large island off the southeast coast of South Kalimantan province.

Newmont called to account

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

August 5th saw the opening of the Indonesian government's first ever pollution case against a major mining company.

Mass protests challenge Inco

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

This article, contributed by YL Franky of the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN), highlights ongoing protests against Inco, the Canadian-owned nickel mine at Sorowako, South Sulawesi.

Indigenous people affected by Inco's mining in Sorowako*, mineworkers, students and NGOs who have formed the Mine Victims' Solidarity Forum (FSMT), mounted a four-day occupation of the company's regional office in Makassar, South Sulawesi, from September 15 - 19th.

On 12 September, the FSMT

In Brief... DTE 67 - November 2005

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.

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.

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.

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.