January 15th, 2007

Aide-Mémoire 4th Session of the UN Human Rights Council 12th March to 6th April 2007

Impunity

Impunity remains one of the key issues concerning Indonesia’s human rights record. There has been no progress regarding prosecution and trial of gross violations of human rights. Impunity is still enjoyed by those responsible for the 1999 violence in East Timor, despite repeated unambiguous demands and recommendations on the part of UN organs. This is above all the report of the Commission ... read more

Berlin, January 3, 2007

Dear Madam, dear Sir,

on January 10th, 2007, the European Commission is going to make an announcement about the review of the Biomass Action Plan and the European Biofuel Directive.

In December 2006, the European Parliament recognized that the lack of clear environmental standards and safeguards could have significant negative effects, such as an increase in tropical deforestation, agriculture intensification and biodiversity losses in Europe and abroad, while failing to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For producer countries like ... read more

December 20th, 2006

To:
Jussi Pesonen
President & CEO
UPM-Kymmene Oyj                                               

Dear Jussi Pesonen,

We, the undersigned citizens’ organisations, are deeply concerned about UPM-Kymmene’s on-going supplying of pulp from Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL). APRIL’s operations in Riau Province, Indonesia, are causing irreplaceable destruction of nature and social problems.

UPM has been involved with APRIL nearly ten years. During this time main problems of APRIL’s operations — supplying fibre from natural forests, large-scale conversion of rainforests for pulp ... read more

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

Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 65, 2006: 21–44

The Suharto Era and Beyond

This article examines Indonesian émigré Pipit Rochijat’s attempts to adapt and renew the tales of the traditional shadow theatre, the wayang. The significance of Pipit’s subversive mythologies lies in the historical context in which these reinterpretations occurred: at the height of Suharto’s New Order regime in the mid 1980s. At a time when censorship and self-censorship had virtually crippled the critical impulse of Indonesian cultural ... read more