[×]

Publication

: Newsletter articles
[×]

Region

: Indonesia
Home › Themes › Publication: Newsletter articles ›

Indonesia

Indonesia has great natural wealth but many of its citizens live in extreme poverty. Democratic progress has been made since the resigation of former president Suharto in 1998, but many civil society organisations feel that far too little progress has been made towards sustainable management of the country's resources, and ensuring that Indonesia's diverse communities have a real say in decisions which affect their future.

Land poverty - no reforms in sight

Down to Earth No 60  February 2004


Indonesia's peasant farmers are being forced off their lands to make way for large-scale plantations, mining, forestry and industrial projects.

BRIK - a flawed approach

Down to Earth No 60  February 2004


Indonesia's forestry industry is becoming aware that consumers in Europe and North America want assurances that timber products are not imported at the cost of rainforest destruction.

Plantations

Down to Earth No 60  February 2004


Forestry minister Prakosa has announced measures to promote the development of forest plantations, despite national and international concerns about forest destruction.

The government's industrial timber estate (HTI) policy has failed in many respects. By 2002, the government had issued licences to 167 industrial timber estates (HTI) covering a total area of 7.76 million hectares, but only around 50 companies were operating anything like normally.

Sustainable palm oil: mission impossible?

Down to Earth No 63  November 2004


Palm oil industry representatives, conservation organisations and NGOs met to discuss 'sustainable palm oil' in Jakarta in October.

In brief... DTE 60 - February 2004

 

Fatal chemical explosion, East Java

WALHI East Java has called for a halt to production and an investigation into PT Petrowidada following an explosion at the company's chemical plant on January 20 which resulted in two dead, 50 others severely injured, and dozens evacuated from the surrounding area. A joint investigation by WALHI East Java and other local groups has documented several past explosions.

Stepwise approach to certification raises questions

Down to Earth No 59  November 2003


What does 'good practice' in timber certification really mean?

"Greenwashed Indonesian Wood Hits U.S. Market" was the headline of the Rainforest Action Network's press release when the first shipment of meranti from a 'good practice' pilot project sanctioned by WWF arrived in August. This tropical hardwood had come from PT Suka Jaya Makmur (SJM), part of the Alas Kusuma Group, which owns a plymill and concession in the Ketapang district of West Kalimantan.

Protests over fatal collapse at Freeport/Rio Tinto West Papua mine

Down to Earth No 59 November 2003


A massive landslide at Freeport/Rio Tinto's huge Grasberg copper and gold mine in West Papua, which killed eight people and injured another five, has sparked angry protests.

The fatal accident happened early on October 9th, when part of the southern wall of the vast open-pit mine collapsed, and 2.3 million tonnes of rock and mud crashed down, engulfing mineworkers and heavy machinery.