Newsletter articles

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.

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

An unprecedented gathering of communities from seven Dayak groups has rejected exploitation which disadvantages indigenous communities, including large oil palm plantations and gold mining. The statement was issued in May, at a 3-day meeting of villagers from the remote Niut mountains, in Landak and Bengkayang districts of West Kalimantan.

The area is the customary land of the Semambang, Sebiak, Busuti, Sepadakng, Kemayo, Entoro and Soong indigenous Dayak groups.

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

Indigenous peoples are calling for land security to be included in the post-tsunami rehabilitation programme, and for the involvement of indigenous peoples, including women.

Presenting a statement to the May session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN in New York, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Acehnese indigenous network JKMA, repo