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Region

: Sumatra
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Theme

: Human rights
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Human rights

Action needed on human rights and development

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

NGOs have called on British MPs to take action on climate justice and sustainable livelihoods, impunity, Aceh and West Papua.


In a meeting with British parliamentarians in London, June 3rd, a group of UK-based NGOs, including Down to Earth, called on the British government to take action on a range of issues related to human rights and development.

The impacts of oil palm plantations on women

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


The social and environmental impacts of large-scale oil palm plantations in Indonesia have been exposed by national and international civil society organisations. But women's experiences have received far less attention.

Peoples Plantations': help or hindrance in tackling deforestation?

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


Indonesia's forestry department is allocating millions of hectares of land to a new scheme aimed at increasing the supply for wood for the pulp and timber industries, as well as tackling poverty. But serious flaws with the 'peoples plantations' programme are raising concerns that the scheme could do more harm than good.


Indonesia's forestry department announced target figures for 'Peoples Plantations' (Hutan Tanaman Rakyat - HTR) in February this year.

Aceh's forests

Down to Earth No 68  February 2006

Aceh's forests are being stripped in the name of post-tsunami reconstruction. In reality, the timber becomes part of lucrative international timber smuggling.

The products of illegal logging from South-east Aceh are transported to Sibolga on the west coast of North Sumatra, and from South Aceh to ports near Medan in North Sumatra. From there, they are exported to Malaysia and further afield.

Timber demand soars, fatal floods hit

Down to Earth No 66  August 2005

Flash floods hit southeastern Aceh in late April, killing at least nineteen people and injuring dozens more. The disaster can be linked to the huge demand for reconstruction timber in post-tsunami Aceh.

The floods brought rocks, logs and water crashing down hillsides, completely destroying people's homes late on April 26th, when most villagers were asleep. The villages of Lawe Gerger, Lawe Mengkudu, and Lawe Lak-Lak in Southeast Aceh district, were worst hit.

Legal challenge to mining in protected forests

Down to Earth No 65  May 2005

In an attempt to save forests and livelihoods, environmentalists have sought a judicial review of the government's 2004 decision to permit mining in protected areas.

The NGOs and individuals challenging the government on its pro-industry mining policy are focussing on the negative environmental, social and economic impacts.

Indonesia's 'odious' arms debt to the UK

Down to Earth No 64  2005

Indonesia owes around US$1.76 billion to the British government. While it is true that this represents just a small fraction of the overall external debt of US$132 billion, it is still a significant sum, far outstripping, for example, the $96 million that the UK government has pledged to the tsunami aid effort.

Most of Indonesia's debt to the UK (US$1.408bn) is in the form of export credit facilities, owed to Britain's Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD). The ECGD underwrites Indonesian contracts with private UK companies.