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Mining, oil & gas

Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism

Down to Earth No.85-86, August 2010

The case of Rio Tinto, BP, the Bakrie Brothers and Kaltim Prima Coal.

By Andrew Hickman, DTE

It is a sad fact that more than 10 years after the fall of Suharto and the establishment of democratic rule in Indonesia corruption, collusions and nepotism, known in Indonesian as KKN - remain key problems and challenges faced by Indonesia today.

India links

Down to Earth No.85-86, August 2010

The following is extracted from a special report by Roger Moody of Nostromo Research, for Mines and Communities. The full report is at www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10299.

The world's second most-populated country was, until recently, believed to contain the world's fourth largest reserves of coal.

Indigenous rights in West Kalimantan revisited

Down to Earth No.84, March 2010

An interview with Erma Ranik


In 2003 we interviewed Erma Ranik for the DTE newsletter. At the time, Erma, a volunteer for the indigenous peoples' alliance in West Kalimantan (AMA Kalbar), was in London on a series of mini-internships facilitated by DTE, as part of a joint programme with the national indigenous peoples' alliance, AMAN.

Seven years on, Erma now sits in the DPD (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah - the Regional Representatives Council) and lives partly in Jakarta and partly in West Kalimantan. DTE got in touch to ask how things have changed.

Marine resources for climate justice

Down to Earth No.83, December 2009

The following is an abridged translation of an Indonesian-language article by M. Riza Damanik and Abdul Halim.1

Ecological justice in Indonesia: in whose hands for the next five years?

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

In April the Indonesian people elected their paliamentary representatives. Partai Demokrat, the party of incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), secured the strongest position with around 20% of the seats. On 8th July are the elections for president and vice-president, with three pairs of candidates in the running: SBY and Boediono, Megawati and Prabowo, and Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto. What are the prospects for ecological justice?

Twenty years of DTE

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

In January 2009 DTE marked its 20th birthday by inviting friends to a gathering in Bogor. On the same occasion we launched an Indonesian language compilation of climate change articles taken from recent DTE newsletters. The following review of our activities was published as the introduction to that book.

BHP Billiton pulls out of Gag nickel project, West Papua

Down to Earth No.79, November 2008


Following years of opposition from environmental and human rights groups, BHP Billiton has decided not to go ahead with a proposed nickel mining project on Gag Island, West Papua. BHP Billiton has reportedly invested US$75 million in developing this project over the last decade or more.


The decision to pull out of the Gag Island nickel project follows closely two company annual general meetings in the UK and Australia.