Monthly Archives: May 2016

Is the government about to take action to save Papua’s forests?

By admin | Published: May 27, 2016

There are positive indications that President Joko Widodo’s recent promise to place a moratorium on new oil palm permits across Indonesia may soon become reality. Statements from key figures in the Forestry and Environment Ministry suggest that one of the main aims of this new policy is to stop the same kind of decimation of […]

Posted in Related Developments | Tagged , , , | Comments closed

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 […]

Posted in Around West Papua | Tagged , , , | Comments closed

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? […]

Posted in Around West Papua | Tagged , , , , | Comments closed

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 […]

Posted in Around West Papua | Tagged , , | Comments closed

The Salim Group’s Secret Plantations in West Papua.

By admin | Published: May 2, 2016

There is strong evidence that the Salim Group has been acquiring and starting to develop oil palm concessions in West Papua province, which could result in the conversion of 117,000 hectares of forest and grassland to oil palm. The Salim Group is one of Indonesia’s biggest business conglomerates and it’s main agribusiness division, Indofood Agri […]

Posted in Around West Papua | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments closed