Indonesia: Criminalization of social leader for the benefit of oil palm corporation

World Rainforest Movement (WRM) Bulletin, Issue 139 – February 2009

As exposed in previous WRM Bulletin issues, criminalization is part of a strategy aimed at silencing any protest generally against the extractive activities of transnational corporations (see WRM Bulletin Nº 125). It is happening all over Southern countries. And it is happening right now in Indonesia, where it has victimized another fighter of social resistance to land-grabbing by palm oil-companies in the country.

The powerful agribusiness transnational group PT ... read more

Posted on 10:58 AM in Agro Fuels, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction, Sumatra, economy and business

Protests erupt over growing number of land and human rights conflicts around biofuels in Indonesia

Environment Times online, 17th February 2009

http://www.environmenttimes.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?news_id=852

On Friday, 13th February, a consortium of environmental and human rights campaigners delivered a petition with over 10,000 signatures to the Indonesian embassy in London. On the same day, German campaigners also delivered the signatures to the Indonesian embassy in Berlin. They are demanding the release of Muhammad Rusdi a community leader and village head in Jambi province, Sumatra, and redress for a community whose land has been illegally taken ... read more

Posted on 11:56 AM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction, Sumatra

(Deutsch) „Wir sind betrogen worden!“

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

Posted on 02:48 AM in Agro Fuels, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), indigenous people, Indonesia, Kalimantan / Borneo, land rights, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction

International concern about palm oil expansion in Indonesia

Berlin, 16 February 2009

Press Release by Watch Indonesia! and Rettet den Regenwald e.V.

 

10.000 EU-citizens demand the release of environmental defender M. Rusdi in Jambi, Sumatra

 

More than 10.000 EU-citizens demand the release of M. Rusdi, head of Karang Mendapo village, who was detained on 28 January 2009. They signed a petition brought forward by Rettet den Regenwald and Watch Indonesia!. Representatives of these environmental and human rights groups handed over the petition to the Indonesian embassy in ... read more

Posted on 04:25 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, petition, Sumatra, economy and business

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

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

(Deutsch) Wilmar weiter auf Raubbaukurs

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

Posted on 02:45 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction, environment and climate, 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

Final Moratorium Call on Promotion of Agrofuels

2nd October 2008

To: Coreper, the Council of Ministers, the European Commission, Claude Turmes (MEP) CC: ITRE and ENVI

Re: EU agrofuel targets

Dear Madam, Sir, In light of the upcoming negotiations between the Council, the European Commission and Claude Turmes (MEP) on the Renewable Energy Directive, the undersigned organisations are calling on  you once again, with the utmost urgency, to drop all agrofuel targets and to install a moratorium on the promotion of agrofuels and agro-energy. Despite overwhelming evidence of numerous ... read more

Posted on 03:31 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, environment and climate

Agrofuels and the Myth of the Marginal Lands

September 2008

A briefing by The Gaia Foundation, Biofuelwatch, the African Biodiversity Network, Salva La Selva, Watch Indonesia! and EcoNexus

MARGINAL, IDLE, DEGRADED, UNDER–UTLISED, SLEEPING, WASTELANDS AND ABANDONED CROPLANDS: all of these are different terms for what is being promoted as the „solution” to the impacts of growing crops for agrofuels. Partly in order to respond to accusations that agrofuels (also known as biofuels) compete with food production, some policy makers have proposed that agrofuel crops should be planted on ... read more

Posted on 03:06 AM in Agro Fuels, joint position papers, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), Indonesia, carbon, land rights, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate