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Indigenous Peoples

Military base for Wasur National Park

Down to Earth No 65  May 2005

Wasur National Park, in southern Papua, managed by conservation organisation WWF, will host a new military battalion as part of a large build up of military forces in West Papua.

The 413,510 hectare park, in the southern district of Merauke, is close to the border with Papua New Guinea and forms part of a larger trans-boundary conservation area across the Fly River.

Rio Tinto closes Kelian mine - history of human rights abuses

Down to Earth No 65  May 2005

UK-based mining company Rio Tinto closed the Kelian gold mine in East Kalimantan in February this year after 13 years of operation.

The mine was developed on land owned by indigenous Dayak communities who were given no choice but to move.

Pak Keuchik Jailani

Down to Earth No 64  2005

The well-known indigenous and environmental activist, Keuchik Jailani, was one of the victims of the quake-tsunami in Aceh. He did not come from a privileged background and had little formal education. He always described himself as an ordinary farmer. But Pak Keuchik - as he was always known - was not an ordinary man. He was a community leader who was chosen to be village head of Riseh Sawang and customary leader because he was an honest, hard-working, principled man who was a skilled negotiator and not afraid to speak out.

Community-centred reconstruction needed

Down to Earth No 64  March 2005

For many tsunami survivors whose homes and livelihoods were totally swept away in the early hours of December 26th, rebuilding their lives means starting from scratch. What lies ahead for these shattered communities and who will decide what happens next?

Acehnese civil society organisations are highlighting the overriding need for participation by the affected communities in the reconstruction and recovery processes and for transparency and accountability in the use of funds.

Give the people of Aceh the right to rebuild their territory themselves

Down to Earth No 64  March 2005

Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) Press Statement

All that's left for the survivors now is the thin thread of life and a stack of questions and fears.

The government has a three-stage plan to tackle the disaster in Aceh and North Sumatra. The emergency stage programme will be the priority until December 2005, when aid will be directed towards clothing, food and health. The emergency funding amounts to Rp1.35 trillion.

Ngata Toro: women in customary decision-making system

Down to Earth No 63  November 2004


The following is an abridged translation from an article in Jurnal Perempuan 25/Oct/04: 'Di Ngata Toro Perempuan Terlibat Dalam Pengambilan Keputusan'. It offers a positive view of women's roles in one indigenous society.

Women play an important role in the decision-making process of the Ngata Toro people of Central Sulawesi.

Women and Mining Conference demands justice for women

Down to Earth No 63  November 2004


Mining has a disproportionate and destructive impact on women, including indigenous women and women miners, bringing serious social and environmental problems, creating poverty and continuing to show disrespect for indigenous cultures, customary laws and rights.