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

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

(Deutsch) Indonesien: Versagen bei der Bewältigung der Vergangenheit

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.

German version

Posted on 03:46 PM in Human Rights, Indonesia, Transitional Justice, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, human rights, impunity, criminal prosecution, Tanjung Priok, transitional justice

(Deutsch) Bleibt Mord an indonesischem Menschenrechtler Munir ungesühnt?

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German version

Posted on 05:16 PM in Human Rights, Indonesia, Judiciary & Administration, Publications, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, justice, human rights, Munir, impunity

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

Governments of eight producer countries state that sustainability of agrofuels cannot be guaranteed

01 December 2008

Open Letter to MEPs:

Since EU target is conditional on sustainability, EU should drop the target

On 6th November, the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Malawi, Mozambique and Sierra Leone wrote an Open Letter to The Council, Parliament and Commission of the European Communities, in which they made it clear that they strongly object to proposed sustainability standards for agrofuels. Those eight countries are amongst the main countries from which the EU is likely ... read more

Posted on 08:25 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, human rights, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Bahasa Indonesia) Dari Isu Utama Buruh ke Isu Demokrasi dan HAM

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Indonesian version

Posted on 05:19 PM in democracy, Economy, Labor & Corruption, Human Rights, Indonesia, Publications, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: labour, democracy, German-Indonesian relations, history and overview, Indonesia, human rights

International Declaration Against the ‘Greenwashing’ of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

In defence of Human Rights, Food Sovereignty, Biodiversity and Climate Justice

Ironically, on 16 October 2008, World Food and Food Sovereignty Day, a meeting will start in Cartagena (Colombia) to promote monoculture oil palm plantations, that are precisely the cause of so many violations of the Right to Food and contrary to food sovereignty insofar as they undermine the peoples’ right to produce their own food according to their territorial conditions and their food culture.

The First ... read more

Posted on 04:58 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: Indonesia, human rights, palm oil, environment and climate