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Sumatra

 

Protests at PT TEL pulp plant

Down to Earth No. 44, February 2000

Community anger is being directed at the newly completed plant in South Sumatra

The PT TEL paper pulp factory at Muara Enim, South Sumatra was completed in November 1999 and started production trials in December with a view to full production by January 2000.

Indigenous Peoples' demands for change

Down to Earth No 43, November 1999

AMAN, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago, was created as a result of the Indigenous Congress held in Jakarta in March. Since then, this first national indigenous peoples' organisation has begun to make its presence felt in a number of ways.

Regional meetings of AMAN have been held in several places between July and September.

Call for agrarian reform

Down to Earth No 43, November 1999

On Agrarian Day, September 24th, the prominent peasants organisation, SPSU, issued a statement urging Indonesia's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to put the interests of rural communities at the heart of the government's programme.

Poverty in the midst of plenty

Down to Earth Special Issue, October 1999

Two indigenous delegates describe the threats to their communities in South Sumatra

Pak Supriyadi was forced to move to Panglero, near the River Semanggis in Musi Rawas district when his village was taken by over by plantations.

Sumatra pulp plant protestors fight on

Down to Earth No. 42 1999

Construction of the US$1 billion PT Tanjung Enim Lestari (PT TEL) paper pulp plant in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, is nearly complete. Hundreds of contract workers will be laid off soon. Most of the equipment, from Scandinavian, Canadian and German companies backed by export credit agreements from their governments, has been installed. Production is expected to start in October. The plant's capacity is 450,000 tonnes of pulp per year.

Forestry Act fiercely opposed

Down to Earth No. 42, August 1999

Farmers call for agrarian justice

Down to Earth No. 41 May 1999

Two meetings of peasant farmers' organisations this year have come up with important messages for the current and future governments of Indonesia concerning land and resource rights.

The United Federation of Indonesian Farmers (FSPI), founded in July last year, held its first congress in February.