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Land and food security

Kutai under siege

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

The situation of Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan is critical. Its head, Toni Suhartono, reckons 10 hectares of forest are cleared daily by illegal loggers. Much of this is the result of highly organised operations. Some 50 trucks per day transport logs out of the Park to the boom town of Sangatta where middle-men export them from the local port.

Inco contract questioned

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

PT Inco Indonesia, subsidiary of Canada-based Inco Ltd, has come under fire from indigenous communities and the local government over the company's nickel mining operations in Sulawesi.

NGOs accuse Unocal

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

Environmental NGOs JATAM and WALHI have exposed the long-running problems of pollution near the site of US-based Unocal's oil and gas terminal.

On February 11th heavy rains caused a spillage from the company's waste facility at Tanjungsantan on the East Kalimantan coast.

Displaced villagers win back land

Down to Earth No. 45, May 2000

Villagers in South Sumatra have successfully regained some of their forest which the government had allocated as a plantation concession to PT Musi Hutan Persada (PT MHP). The Department of Forestry and Plantations has agreed to hand 12,050 ha back to the former inhabitants of 12 villages in the sub-district of Rambang Lubai.

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.

Advance of the biotech giants

Down to Earth No 43, November 1999

Farmers' groups and NGOs supporting them in south-east Asia are concerned that a second Green Revolution is gathering pace, fuelled by advances in genetic engineering. These developments involve close collaboration between international and national research institutions and the private sector – mainly giant biotech companies.

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.