Category Archives: Around West Papua

A statement from indigenous people in Boven Digoel

By admin | Published: November 21, 2016

This statement was drafted during a meeting between indigenous Papuans affected by plantation development, NGOs and local government representatives, on 4th and 5th November 2016. We are representatives of the Auyu, Wambon and Muyu peoples, who live within the administrative area of Boven Digoel Regency, Papua province, and primarily in villages that are targets for […]

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The voice of Papuan workers: the companies came and our income dropped.

By admin | Published: November 19, 2016

When the oil palm plantation companies first arrive in the villages they promise jobs for indigenous Papuans, an effort to implant dreams of improved economic well-being and higher incomes. Once work starts however, the promises aren’t followed through and the imagined changes never come about. Meanwhile, the land and forest which used to provide the […]

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Grabbing land locally, changing climate globally: the winners and the losers in West Papua’s plantation boom

By admin | Published: November 9, 2016

The potential impacts of climate change have long been a major concern around the Pacific reason, where, for example, many small islands are vulnerable to sea level rise. In recent years, the human rights situation and political status of West Papua has also been attracting more and more attention in the region. A conference in […]

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Yerisiam Gua Women: Our lives depend on sago

By admin | Published: November 8, 2016

[awasMIFEE note: This is a translation of an article by Zely Ariane which was published by tabloid Jubi on 29th October, based on a similar article published by Suarapapua.com in May. As part of a response to a complaint to the RSPO, the company has since initiated a process of dialogue with the community, and […]

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Indigenous people of Maybrat oppose PT ANJ’s ambitions

By admin | Published: July 1, 2016

PT Austindo Nusantara Jaya Tbk, owned by the Tahija family, is currently planning to expand its oil palm business in areas administered by the Maybrat Regency, through a subsidiary company called PT Pusaka Agro Makmur (40,000 hectares). PT ANJ Group already operates an oil palm business in the Maybrat area and across the regency border […]

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New companies threatening the Papuan forest: Number 1 Pacific Inter-link.

By admin | Published: June 12, 2016

There is currently some momentum for change in the palm oil industry, aiming to reduce its disastrous environmental and social impact. In Papua, some of the biggest companies, such as Sinar Mas, Musim Mas and Wilmar, have all abandoned plantation plans after signing up to ‘no deforestation’ policies. ((in the case of Wilmar, the abandoned […]

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An appeal not to issue Cultivation Rights Title to the Korindo Group in North Maluku.

By admin | Published: June 2, 2016

[Korindo, the South Korean timber and plantation company which has caused so many problems on it’s plantations in Merauke and Boven Digoel, Papua, is also facing opposition from communities confronted with a new plantation in Gane Bay, on the island of Halmahera in Maluku. This is a translation of a press release issued in Jakarta […]

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Indigenous people and activists demonstrate against oil palm expansion in Sorong

By admin | Published: May 24, 2016

[awasMIFEE note: as the indigenous people of Sorong, Nabire, Merauke and elsewhere around Papua continue to resist oil palm expansion, there now appears to be some hope that the government is responding. It appears that President Joko Widodo’s comments last April that he was preparing a moratorium on all new oil palm permits are being […]

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Brimob and how the Yerisiam Gua people’s sago groves were cleared.

By admin | Published: May 13, 2016

Sima, 11 May 2016 – During a discussion on Monday 9th May community representatives were asked if they agreed with PT Nabire Baru’s statement that police mobile brigade (Brimob) were stationed on the company’s premises because the community had requested their presence. They instantly replied that they didn’t. “How could we have asked for them? […]

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Forest in the Kalasou Valley threatened by oil palm.

By admin | Published: May 9, 2016

Forest belonging to the Moi indigenous people in the Kalasou Valley, Sorong Regency, West Papua Province, is currently under threat, targeted by an oil palm plantation company. The Bupati of Sorong, Stepanus Malak, issued location permit 221/2011 on 23rd December 2011 to oil palm company PT Mega Mustika Plantation (MMP), covering an area of 9835 […]

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