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In Brief... DTE 67 - November 2005

Down to Earth No 67  November 2005

Police open fire on farmers in Lombok

Indonesian human rights NGO Elsam has protested against the police shooting of farmers attending a national meeting in Lombok. Twenty seven people suffered gunshot injuries on September 18th when police dispersed a farmers' union general assembly organised by the Nusa Tenggara Barat union and the Federation of Indonesian Farmers Unions (FSPI). Eight people were detained at the meeting, which was attended by farmers' representatives from 26 countries.

Indigenous peoples oppose oil palm in West Kalimantan

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

Indigenous peoples' organisations are raising awareness of the negative impacts of large-scale plantations among their communities in West Kalimantan - a move that challenges powerful government and business interests.

A March meeting of indigenous communities from West Kalimantan discussed the downside of the provincial government's plan for a massive expansion in oil palm plantations.

The RSPO - towards "sustainable palm oil"?

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

Interview with Marcus Colchester

Marcus Colchester is Director of the international NGO, Forest Peoples Programme, and a member of DTE's management committee. He has participated with Indonesian NGO, Sawit Watch, in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as a member of its Criteria Working Group.

Pesticide use in oil palm plantations

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

Pesticides, including herbicides, are commonly used in oil palm plantations, despite their adverse impacts on human beings and the environment.

In his keynote speech to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, October 2004, the then Indonesian agriculture minister, Bungaran Saragih, admitted the dangers of herbicides use in oil palm plantations(1).

Forest fires

Down to Earth No 62  August 2004

The burning season started early in Sumatra this year, but Jakarta has been too preoccupied with the elections to take action on forest fires.

Thick smoke blanketed parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan for several days during June and July, resulting in the now familiar symptoms of delayed flights and the authorities handing out face masks.

NGOs oppose South Kalimantan pulp mill

Down to Earth No 62 August 2004

A group of thirty Indonesian and international NGOs have called for the cancellation of South Kalimantan's first pulp mill project.

Sustainable palm oil: mission impossible?

Down to Earth No 63  November 2004


Palm oil industry representatives, conservation organisations and NGOs met to discuss 'sustainable palm oil' in Jakarta in October.