Home › Campaigns › Theme: Politics & democracy › Region: Indonesia ›

Newsletter articles

DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

To get on the mailing list for e-updates with links to the latest articles or PDF file of the full newsletter, click in the green box on the homepage.

The Bahasa Indonesia list offers links to selected articles from each newsletter issue.

To get on our  mailing list for hard copies (£10 a year, English newsletter only) send a request to dte@gn.apc.org.

DTE publications

Megawati and her new ministers

Down to Earth No 51 November 2001


The new president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, and her ministers face many tough challenges in coming months.

As the newly elected Megawati Soekarnoputri - Indonesia's first woman president - chose her new cabinet, there was intense speculation as to what kind of government she would form. The resulting "Gotong Royong" 32-member cabinet was hailed by the mainstream media as a good combination of professionals and experienced politicians.

Regional autonomy: future uncertain

Down to Earth No 51 November 2001


Megawati Soekarnoputri's new government is citing the threat of national disintegration as the reason for scaling down decentralisation.

Newly installed president Megawati has identified regional autonomy - Indonesia's decentralisation process launched in January this year - as a key issue in building democracy in the country.

Adat and the forests

Down to Earth No 51 November 2001


In April this year a series of workshops on adat (customary community organisation) and agroforestry were organised by the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and the Indonesian indigenous peoples' alliance AMAN. The workshops were facilitated by Dr Marcus Colchester, director of the UK-based Forest Peoples Programme, and management committee member of DTE. The programme was funded by BSP-Kemala.

BP's Tangguh project will increase tension

Down to Earth No 50 August 2001


Preparations for BP's giant Tangguh gas project are moving ahead at a time of heightened tension in West Papua as the Indonesian military toughens its stance against 'threats to security' in the disputed territory.

The killing of five mobile brigade (Brimob) police officers and a logging company employee on 13th June, has sparked a brutal response by the Indonesian security forces in Wasior subdistrict, to the east of BP's Tangguh project in Bintuni Bay.

Indonesia and Down to Earth - a 50th edition editorial

Down to Earth No 50 August 2001


Please note: this editorial was prepared before the change of president. To see our statement on this change please click here.

Indonesia today faces an uncertain future. President Wahid is expected to be forced out of power any day and, under a future President Megawati Soekarnoputri, democratic reform could be stopped in its tracks.

Forest destruction fuelled by debt, poverty and greed

Down to Earth No 49 May 2001


The Wahid government is making last-minute efforts to comply with demands for forest reform agreed last year with its international creditors. Many NGOs feel these efforts will not be enough to stop the rampant destruction in Indonesia's forests. They suspect that the reform process is being driven by the priorities of the creditors who want conservation and "sustainable" management, but also debt repayment.

Papuans reject autonomy, call Freeport/Rio Tinto to account

Down to Earth No 49 May 2001


The shooting of demonstrators, killings in police detention and increased military presence are making the prospects for peace in West Papua even more remote.