Resistance against Palm Oil – Unlawful Arrest of farmers’ resistance leader in Jambi, Indonesia

Berlin, 05 February 2009

Watch Indonesia! – urgent appeal

Dear Friends, dear colleagues,

Watch Indonesia! and Rettet den Regenwald write to inform you about the unlawful arrest of farmers‘ resistance leader Muhammad Rusdi of Karang Mendapo village, Jambi province, Indonesia. This case is related to one of the countless land conflicts that occur in Indonesia due to the massive expansion of palm oil plantations. Rusdi’s arrest is seen as an attempt to silence the inspiring protest of Karang Mendapo-farmers that is becoming ... read more

Posted on 04:47 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Human Rights, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, protest action, environment and climate, economy and business

Acquittal in the Murder of Indonesian Rights Activist Strengthens Impunity

01 January 2009

On 31 December 2008, the South Jakarta District Court acquitted Muchdi Purwopranjono, former Deputy Director of Indonesia’s national intelligence agency (BIN), for want of evidence. He has been charged with the murder of well-known human rights lawyer Munir. Watch Indonesia! criticizes the flawed conduct of judges and prosecutors: due to the implausible motive of the indictment, the weak evidence presented and the lack of witness protection, a conviction of Muchdi in accordance with rule of law-standards would have ... read more

Posted on 04:50 PM in Human Rights, Indonesia, Publications, Watch's Press Releases & Statements
Tags: intelligence service, Indonesia, justice, human rights, Munir, impunity, criminal prosecution

Aerial bombardment of peasants in Sumatran village

Berlin, 23rd December 2008

Press Release

On Thursday, 18th December, hundreds of police and paramilitaries attacked the Sumatran village Suluk Bongkal in Riau Province with tear gas and guns. A helicopter dropped incendiary devices on the village, with eye witnesses alleging that napalm was used. Hundreds of houses immediately went up in flames. Two young children were killed and many people were injured. Most of the villagers have fled into the forest. Others have been arrested. Two days later, a helicopter flew ... read more

Posted on 04:31 AM in Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Pulp & Paper, Environment & Climate, Watch's Press Releases & Statements
Tags: Indonesia, land rights, human rights, pulp and paper, plantations, Police, rain forest destruction, Sumatra, economy and business

European Union and French Presidency seek to push forward with destructive and unsustainable biofuel target

02 December 2008

Press release from Biofuel Watch, Corporate Europe Observatory, Econexus, Grupo de Reflexión Rural, Rettet den Regenwald and Watch Indonesia!

Campaigners today (Tuesday) accused the French Presidency and the European Union of pushing ahead with dangerous and unsustainable agrofuel targets, with a view to reaching a deal on the Renewable Energy Directive on Wednesday. The target as proposed (1) would greatly increase the use of agrofuels (biofuels from crops and trees) in Europe, with no credible protection ... read more

Posted on 03:21 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), land rights, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Deutsch) „Palmölplantagen zerstören unser Leben”
NGOs kritisieren Förderung von Palmöl im EEG

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
German version
Indonesian version

Posted on 10:33 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Papua, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), poverty, Government of Germany, Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, Papua, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Deutsch) In Memoriam Pater Ruedi Hofmann

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
German version

Posted on 09:20 AM in History & Overview, East Timor, Publications, Society & Religion, Watch's Press Releases & Statements
Tags: peace process, history and overview, conflict resolution, culture, East Timor, religion

German Bank Pulls Out of Controversial Indonesian Gold Mine Scheme

18th January 2008

Urgewald + Watch Indonesia!, press note

The Indonesian province of North Sulawesi is a biodiversity hotspot and harbors some of the world’s most spectacular nature areas. Northern Sulawesi is also home to a series of gold deposits, the largest of which is known by the name of Toka Tindung. Plans to establish gold mining operations here have met with widespread resistance both from local inhabitants and the Provincial government, who fear that the mines would disrupt ... read more

Posted on 08:47 AM in Economy, Labor & Corruption, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Mining, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: mining, Germany, Indonesia, protest action, government, Sulawesi, environment and climate, economy and business

Bali Declaration: Protecting the world’s forests needs more than just money

10th December 2007

Governments meeting in Bali, Indonesia for the 13th Conference of the Parties/3rd Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 3-14 December 2007, need to recognise that this may be our last opportunity to stop runaway climate change and that with 18-20% of annual carbon emissions being caused by deforestation, protecting our forests is a key part of this. This problem is made even more important because forests are a key part ... read more

Posted on 03:36 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), indigenous people, Indonesia, carbon, rain forest destruction, environment and climate, World Bank

Biofuels, Climate Change and Climate Justice

5th December 2007

Joint press release by World Rainforest Movement, Watch Indonesia!, Walhi Jambi, Grupo de Reflexion Rural, Biofuelwatch and African Biodiversity Network

Six organisations from North and South will be presenting evidence about the catastrophic impact of large-scale biofuel production on the climate and ecosystems, communities and food sovereignty at a UNFCCC side event on 6th December.

Speakers from Indonesia, Argentina, Uruguay, Uganda, Germany and the UK will speak about „Biofuels, Climate Change and Climate Justice”. They will discuss the ... read more

Posted on 05:42 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), Indonesia, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Call On The EU To Abandon 10% Biofuel Target

21 September 2007

THOMSEN REPORT (A6- 0287/2007 – ITRE): “A ROADMAP FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY IN EUROPE”, 26th SEPTEMBER VOTE (24th SEPTEMBER DEBATE)

The undersigned organisations call on the European Parliament to drop support for the proposed 10% target for biofuel use in the transport sector (point 43, Thomsen report) and to support amendments to this effect. Growing and compelling evidence suggests that this target will further contribute to highly destructive impacts on the climate, biodiversity, communities and food security. The 10% target ... read more

Posted on 03:55 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), biodiversity, food security, European Union (EU), carbon, land rights, rain forest destruction, environment and climate