Pressemitteilung der Koalition zur Rettung des Grime-Nawa-Tals bei Jayapura, Provinz Papua, Indonesien
“Der Regent des Bezirks Jayapura hat sein Versprechen gebrochen, die Genehmigung für die Firma Permata Nusa Mandiri zu widerrufen, die gegen Gesetze verstößt.
Das Unternehmen PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PNM) betreibt weiterhin Ölpalmenplantagen im Grime-Nawa-Tal in den Distrikten Nimbokran und Unurumguay, Regierungsbezirk Jayapura , Provinz Papua. Die Bezirksregierung von Jayapura hat das Unternehmen aufgefordert, die Rodungsarbeiten vorläufig einzustellen (Februar 2022), ein Warnschreiben verschickt und verlangt, dass die Plantage nicht weiter betrieben wird (September 2022 und November 2022).
Wir, die Koalition zur Rettung des Grime-Nawa-Tals, haben zahlreiche Gespräche mit der Regierung des Bezirks Jayapura geführt. An dem heutigen Dialog, Freitag, 9. Dezember 2022, nahmen die Assistentin I, Elphyna Situmorang, die Assistentin II, Delila Giay, und der Leiter der Rechtsabteilung, Timothy Taime, teil.
Wir fordern die Regierung auf, ihr Versprechen einzulösen und PT PNM die Genehmigungen zu entziehen. Bisher hat die Regierung des Bezirks Jayapura weder die Geschäftsgenehmigung noch die Standortgenehmigung, die Umweltgenehmigung, die Betriebsgenehmigung und die Lizenz für die Plantage widerrufen, obwohl das Unternehmen offensichtlich nicht in der Lage ist, die Bestimmungen zu erfüllen, und die Abmahnung und die Aufforderung zur Einstellung der Tätigkeiten nicht beachtet hat.
Wir müssen feststellen, dass die Regierung des Bezirks Jayapura die Rechte der Indigenen und die Umwelt nicht respektiert und schützt. „Der Regent hat sein Versprechen nicht gehalten, die Genehmigungen von PT Permata Nusa Mandiri zu widerrufen, obwohl die Firma Gesetze bricht, die Rechte der Indigenen verletzt und ihnen Schaden zufügt und die Wälder weiter abholzt. Die Regierung scheint die bestehenden Probleme absichtlich zuzulassen. Das Unternehmen handelt arrogant und willkürlich, die Indigenen aber sind beunruhigt, weil es keine Rechtssicherheit gibt und Misstrauen gegenüber der Regierung entsteht”, sagte Yustus Yekusamun, ein Vertreter der Indigenen und Sprecher der Koalition Grime-Nawa-Tal.
Die Indigenen-Aktivistin Rosita Tecuari wies auf die Verpflichtungen des Regenten von Jayapura und des Ministeriums für Umwelt und Forstwirtschaft hin, die Rechte indigener Völker und ihre Landrechte zu achten und zu schützen. Entsprechende Schutzprogramme aber böten den Indigenen im Grima-Nawa-Tal keine echte Absicherung. „Indigene Dörfer werden zwar anerkannt, doch haben die Indigenen nicht die Autorität und Macht über ihr Land und ihren Wald, denn diese werden von Unternehmen kontrolliert und verwaltet.“
„Wie aber sollen die Indigenen ohne jegliche Macht und Autorität ihre Rechte auf ihr Land und ihren Wald umsetzen”, fragte Rosita Tecuari. Wir, die Koalition zur Rettung des Grime-Nawa-Tals, vermuten, dass die Politik die Genehmigungen nicht entzogen hat, weil politische und wirtschaftliche Interessen und die Macht bestimmter Gruppen dahinterstecken. Damit verbunden ist die Gefahr von Gesetzesbruch und Korruption. Daher fordert die Koalition die KPK (Kommission zur Bekämpfung der Korruption) und das PPATK (Zentrum für Berichte und Analysen von Finanztransaktionen) auf, Beamte und Akteure mit geschäftlichen Interessen sowie den Fluss von Finanztransaktionen zu überwachen.
Jayapura, 09. Dezember 2022
Kontakte:
Yustus Yekusamun : +62 822-3441-5750
Rosita Tecuari : +62 823-1150-8559
Franky Samperante: +62 813 1728 6019
Asep Komarudin: +62 813-1072-8770
This year’s general assembly of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which begins on 1 December 2022 in Malaysia, marks the alliance’s 19th anniversary. For nearly two decades now, the RSPO has failed in its mission to make the industrial palm oil sector “sustainable”. Instead, it has been used by the palm oil industry to greenwash environmental destruction, labour and human rights abuses and land grabbing.
We, and other organisations working with communities affected by industrial oil palm plantations, have repeatedly denounced the RSPO for its failure to address the grievances of communities whose lands were taken by palm oil companies. The fundamental problems with the institution and its certification scheme are described in detail in international statements signed by organisations from around the world in 2008 and in 2018, and recently in reports published in 2021 on the failure of RSPO to prevent deforestation, consult affected communities and address their grievances (here and here).
Today, we find that nothing has changed. While the area of land under RSPO-certified oil palm plantations has continued to grow, the RSPO has continued to be a great deception.
Since 2020, the RSPO certified several industrial oil palm concessions in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Ghana, DRC, Nigeria and Ivory Coast belonging to the Luxembourg-based company Socfin. The certifications were provided in complete disregard of community grievances related to lack of living space, land conflicts, deforestation, pollution, labour rights, harassment and violence. Communities in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Ivory Coast have demanded the suspension of these certificates. After articles appeared in the media about Socfin’s Cameroon plantations, the RSPO secretariat sent a verification mission to assess the allegations made. Whilecommunity leaders say the RSPO assessment team avoided talking with people critical of the company, and ignored evidence provided by community leaders, the verification assessment still documented numerous violations of RSPO standards at the Cameroon plantations. Despite these findings, the RSPO continues to issue certifications to more plantations of the Socfin group.
In Sierra Leone, 1,475 local community members affected by Socfin’s plantation signed a petition denouncing the RSPO’s certification decision in January 2022. They claimed the RSPO process was flawed and had failed to consider issues related to land grabbing, human rights violations and violent repression. As noted in an international press release signed by numerous organisations: “The RSPO consultation process was riddled with missteps. Relevant stakeholders, including affected landowners, were not consulted. A crucial government report that orders revocation of the principal lease and a participative process to solve the current land disputes was rejected as evidence. The audits were not independent from the company and a safe space for consultation was not provided despite the huge risks of reprisals for people.”
The recent certification of Socfin in Africa shows how the RSPO not only fails to help communities but can undermine their defence of life. Communities and their NGO allies have to waste valuable time and resources engaging with multiple and complex RSPO processes. Leaders who speak out during these processes are vulnerable to intimidation and harassment.
In another recent case, members of the Commune of Barranquilla de San Javier in Ecuador held a peaceful protest in 2019 to demand that the RSPO member company Energy & Palma withdraw from their lands, stop polluting their water sources and stop deforestation. The protests were violently crushed by the police and then, in a clear act of intimidation, the company took seven community leaders to court, seeking US$320,000 in damages. The court already issued one of two rulings and sentenced the community members to pay US$151,000, which the defenders appealed. The company also appealed and insisted on the payment of US$320,000. The second ruling is still pending. As of today, the RSPO has taken no action to sanction Energy & Palma.
Meanwhile, communities in Liberia are still waiting for a solution to a complaint they lodged with the RSPO over a decade ago against member company Golden Agri-Resources. Their experience and others show how the RSPO complaint system is in tatters and has never been effective.
We now have 19 years of ongoing evidence that the RSPO is not a credible instrument for holding companies in the palm oil industry to account for environmental, social and labour violations. This means that RSPO fails to uphold its own principles and criteria towards its members. It has proved to not be a trusted venue for communities to address their complaints against palm oil companies. Instead, it undermines communities’ efforts and enables palm oil companies to grab more lands.
At a moment when the area of land under RSPO certification is growing and when the RSPO is being promoted as a standard for sustainability within national, regional and international regulations and policies, we reiterate our denunciation of the RSPO and our commitment to actions that can truly serve the interests of communities and put an end to the colonialist model of industrial oil palm plantations.
Signed by:
(1) Greenpeace Africa, (2) Down to Earth Consult, (3) Forum Ökologie & Papier, (4) Rettet den Regenwald e.V. (Allemagne), (5) Red Latinoamericana contra los monocultivos de árboles (RECOMA), (6) Labour Resource Center (LRC), (7) Entraide et Fraternité, (8) Fern, (9) FIAN Belgium, (10) MIJARC Europe, (11) Solsoc, (12) RADD, (13) Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE), (14) SYNAPARCAM, (15) JVE Côte d’Ivoire, (16) REFEB ci, (17) NOAH – Friends of the Earth Denmark, (18) Fundación pro Defensa de la Naturaleza y sus Derechos, (19) Red Ecuatoriana de Alternativas a la Palma Aceitera, (20) Salva la Selva, (21) A Growing Culture, (22) Friends of the Earth United States, (23) The Oakland Institute, (24) European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), (25) Association Française d’Amitié et de Solidarité avec les Peuples d’Afrique, (26) ReAct Transnational, (27) Sherpa, (28) Confédération paysanne, (29) Muyissi Environnement, (30) Red Mesoamericana contra la Palma de Aceite, (31) Indigenous Perspectives, (32) Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM), (33) Palm Oil Concerns, (34) REACH-M, (35) Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland, (36) Aceh Wetland Foundation, (37) Betang Bagawi, (38) FBTPI, (39) FNPF, (40) Forum Penjaga Hutan dan Sungai Harimau Pining, (41) Gabungan Serikat Buruh Indonesia (DPP. GSBI), (42) Greenpeace Indonesia, (43) Jaringan Advokasi Tambang Sulawesi Tengah, (44) JASOIL TANAH PAPUA, (45) Kaoem Telapak, (46) KRuHA (People’s Coalition for the Right to Water), (47) Lingkungan hidup URAI UNI, (48) LITORAL, (49) Pantau Gambut, (50) Save Our Borneo, (51) SBPI, (52) Selamatkan Hutan Hujan Indonesia, (53) Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity Network, (54) Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI)/Friends of the Earth Indonesia, (55) WALHI East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian, (56) WALHI Kalimantan Barat, (57) WALHI Sulawesi Selatan, (58) Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat, (69) CADTM, (60) Friends of the Earth International, (61) GRAIN, (62) World Rainforest Movement, (63) Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD), (64) Green Advocates International, (65) Natural Resource Women Platform (NRWP), (66) Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM), (67) Tenaganita’, (68) Otros Mundos Chiapas, (69) Reentramados para la vida, Defendiendo Territorios, (70) Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, (71) Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee – PKRC, (72) Milieudefensie – Friends of the Earth Netherlands, (73) Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), (74) Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), (75) asa-cadecvim coops, (76) Association Paysannes des Jeunes Entrepreneurs Agricoles, (77) Confédération Paysanne du Congo -Principal Regroupement Paysan COPACO -PRP/ASBL, (78), Coopérative des Paysans de Lonzo, COPACLO en sigle, (79) Alliance Paysanne pour la Souveraineté Alimentaire, ASA/OP, (80) Consortium Asa-CADECVIM, (81) COPACO-PRP, (82) Réseau d’information et d’appui aux ONG en République Démocratique du Congo, (83) Réseau National des Organisations des femmes Paysanne, (84) Réseau d’Information et d’Appui aux ONG en République Démocratique du Congo, (85) Earthsight, (86) Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), (87) Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland, (88) Biofuelwatch, (89) GREEN SCENERY, (90) Women’s Network Against Rural Plantations Injustice (WoNARPI), (91) agrarinfo.ch, (92) Bruno Manser Fonds, (93) Agroecological Transitions Research Group, (94) GREEN BOOTS, (95) HEKS Swiss Church Aid, (96) Pro Natura / Friends of the Earth Switzerland, (97) Public Eye, (98) Solidar Suisse, (99) SOLIFONDS, (100) Uniterre.
Unproductive Forest, these words are written and contained in several official legal documents of the government to indicate the condition of forest vegetation and stands based on the technical criteria and foresters’ knowledge, such as scarce and insufficient tree stands, and certain tree sizes.
The state foresters’ knowledge is used by the permit issuing officials, consultants and company operators, by accusing and dictating the existence of customary forests as unproductive forests, and therefore must be converted into productive through commercial businesses, industrial forest, plantation and agricultural cultivation businesses, to gain profits.
The Wambon Tekamerop indigenous community in Subur District, Boven Digoel Regency, has been living for generations within and around the forest. They refute the state foresters’ and companies’ knowledge, namely that the arguments of unproductive forests and vacant land had served as basis for granting industrial plantation forest business permits to a company, PT Merauke Rayon Jaya. This policy is a form of neglect of the state and corporations that do not recognize and respect the rights and knowledge of indigenous peoples.
In 2021, PUSAKA and the Wambon Tekamerop indigenous community in Aiwat Village, Subur District, conducted an assessment of the forest area condition based upon local customary knowledge. The logical fallacy on customary forest and indigenous community’s knowledge can be refuted with the fact that the indigenous community possesses innovative knowledge in managing and utilizing the forest in a sustainable manner. The condition of the local forest is still considered sound and still able to provide for all of the community’s needs. The forest which belongs to the Wambon Tekamerop tribe is occupied by simple vegetations (lichens and ferns) up to woody plants and it became a dwelling place for wild animals. The forest is still filled with various woody tree (with a diameter of more than 40 cm) and non-woody tree species, which can be utilized by the people as foodstuff, medicinal plants, cultural accessories materials and as building materials.
The names of the plants often utilized by the people for house materials, foodstuff, medicines and customary ceremonies, and food for wild animals, are: doruk (Vatica rassak), tenot (Gnetum gnemon), keydan, mbu, oromun, moron, terah (Calamus sp.), jon (Oncosperma tigillarium) and ndu (Metroxylon sagoo). The people still possess knowledge of their forests because their lives are still dependent on the forests and such knowledge is contained in the customary norms of the management and safeguarding of their customary forest.
Industrialization of Natural Forests on a Large Scale
In 1998, the Minister of Forestry issued Decision Letter Number 5/KPTS-II/1998 dated 05 January 1998 regarding the granting of concession right of Pulp Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) to PT Maharani Rayon Jaya (MRJ), which later changed its name to PT Merauke Rayon Jaya, for an area of 206,800 hectares, which is administratively located in Subur District, Boven Digoel Regency and Muting District, Merauke Regency, Papua Province.
PT MRJ’s plantation forest industrial business permit had been revoked by the Regent of Merauke in 2007, the Governor of Papua in 2013, and the Minister of Forestry in 2014. However, the company sued against the Minister of Forestry’s decision and the panel of judges at the Supreme Court in the judicial review case hearing accepted the company’s lawsuit and annulled the Minister of Forestry’s 2017 decision. Subsequently, the Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) issued SK Number 238/Menlhk/Setjen/Kum.1/5/2018 dated 17 May 2018 which annulled and reinstate PT MRJ’s business permit.
PT MRJ planned to convert the natural forest stated as unproductive forest and vacant land, into plantation forest industrial for pulp commodity.
Based on the HTI Business Work Plan for a 10 (ten)-year period of 2020 – 2029, PT MRJ will clear natural forests and plant the solomon teak and sengon solomon teak species on an area of 152,974 hectares, or approximately 74 percent of the 206,800 hectares concession.
The new solomon teak and sengon plants are not endemic plants, they are brought from outside, and will replace and eliminate the diversity of tree plant species in the customary forest.
Threat of Deforestation
Based on the moratorium map (PIPIB, 2019) and the land cover map, it is identified that PT MRJ’s concession area predominantly consists of primary natural forests with a total area of up to 131,314 hectares and there are peat lands in a total area of 2,020 hectares. Therefore, the natural forest area here had become an object of moratorium. In 2022, the PIPIB Map (2022) was revised, the remarks on natural forests and peat lands in PT MRJ’s area are no longer found.
From the results of study by PUSAKA, the customary forest area which became PT MRJ’s company concession area is dominated by forest areas with high conservation value (NKT) of category 2.2., namely a natural area which contains two or more ecosystems. This vast landscape has the capacity to maintain the ecological processes and dynamics. There is also a category 3 NKT area, that contains a rare ecosystem which is threatened to extinct. In addition to NKT 2 and 3, the Wambon tribe’s forest area is also classified in NKT category 6 – an area with significant role for the communities, namely douval sacred forest, sacred grave area, old village and antiquated village areas.
It is estimated that if PT MRJ carries out conversion on the natural forest concession of an area of 2,068 Km2, the natural forest lost (deforestation) would be 11 times the area of Stockholm in Europe, the city where the UN General Assembly Conference (1972) was convened, that established the World Environment Day, which is commemorated every June 5th. The potential carbon (CO2) emission from such deforestation is 146,624,737 tons of CO2.
The plantation forest industry project which will lead to deforestation is in contradiction to the government’s commitment to reduce emission and prevent climate change. Ideally, the government protects and empowers the indigenous communities in the management of customary forests in order to actualize the sustainable development principle.
New Investor
The company, PT. Merauke Rayon Jaya, was established in 1995 and is domiciled at Jl. Proklamasi Number 36, Pegangsaan, Menteng, Central Jakarta. Initially, PT MRJ was part of Texmaco Group, the shares of which are predominantly owned by Marimutu Sinivasan. After facing financial and legal issues, being involved in the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) case, the government subsequently seized the assets of Texmaco Group controlled by Marimutu Sinivasan. Such seizure will be followed by open sale or auction and or other settlements, said the Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud, MD (20/01/2022).
Based on the company data issued by the Directorate General of General Legal Administration of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights accessed in June 2022, it was discovered that in 2021 there had been changes in the Articles of Association and Company Data of PT Merauke Rayon Jaya, namely the company type from a Domestic Investment (PMDN) into PMA (Foreign Investment Company). PT Merauke Rayon Jaya is owned by a new investor from Singapore, Energy Timber Bamboo Plantation, PTE, LTD, a holding company owned by Tankappan Pillai Harirahan, which controls PT MRJ’s shares by 55%, PT Star Timber Perkasa, which is owned by AR. Parmananthen (still related to Texmaco Group) by 44%, and Marimutu Sinivasan 1%. The President Director of PT MRJ is Martin H Hutabarat, which is a prominent politician from the Gerindra Party.
The Wambon Tekamerop indigenous community, the owner of the land, did not receive any information on such change and the presence of a new investor in PT MRJ. The government should have placed PT MRJ as one of the companies whose permits need to be evaluated and imposed with sanctions. As stated in President Joko Widodo’s speech, “Permits which are not implemented, not productive, transferred to other parties, and not in accordance with the designations and regulations, will be revoked”. (January 2022).
The Community’s Resistance
The Indigenous Community of Wambon Tekamerop Tribe in Subur Village and Aiwat Village was never aware of any permit process until PT Merauke Rayon Jaya (MRJ) obtained the business permit. The government and the company never conducted any open and extensive socialization. The community complained about PT MRJ’s business plan which will clear out the remaining customary forest and deprive the Wambon Tekamerop tribe of their sacred grounds, which among other things is related to the history of presence and journey of the Catholic Mission in South Papua.
On PT Merauke Rayon Jaya’s plan, the indigenous community of Wambon Tekamerop tribe as the owner of the customary land has carried out resistance by sending a letter of statement of rejection to the plan and a mediation with PT MRJ (2019); they had a meeting with the company and expressed their rejection (2020); the Wambon Tekamerop Indigenous Community conducted customary rituals, planting Red Crosses and Barricades on the Wambon Tekamerop customary areas to safeguard the forests and customary areas (2020), they had an audience with the officials representing the Governor of Papua, the Forestry Service Office, MRP Papua (2021).
The Wambon Tekemerop community demands : (1) The regional and national governments should not issue any recommendation latter and they should revoke the company license of PT Merauke Rayon Jaya; (2) The regional and national governments must honor the decision of the Wambon Tekamerop indigenous community of rejecting all industrial plans and activities of PT MRJ in Subur Village and Aiwat Village, Boven Digoel Regency; (3) The Ministry of Environment and Forestry should promptly grant recognition of the customary forests controlled and managed by the Indigenous Community of Wambon Tekamerop Tribe in Subur Village and Aiwat Village, Subur District, Boven Digoel Regency, Papua Province.
Ank, Jul 2022
Jakarta, 22 June 2022 — Indigenous people from the Grime Nawa Valley, Jayapura, Papua Province, have long been haunted by the presence of the oil palm plantation company PT Permata Nusa Mandiri, coming to their village. The company, has cleared hundreds of hectares of forest without the approval of the wider community.
In early 2022, the Minister of Environment and Forestry issued Decree No. 01/2022 which revoked the concession permits of dozens of oil palm plantation companies in Papua, including PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PNM). The decision seemengly give new hope for indigenous peoples in Papua.
The Minister of Environment and Forestry Decree was then followed by the establishment of the Land Use Management and Investment Management Task Force by President Joko Widodo. The formation of this team is stated in Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 1 of 2022 led by the Minister of Investment / Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia, assisted by the Deputy Chief Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Minister of LHK and Minister of ATR / Head of BPN. The Task Force reports directly to the President.
The task force’s tasks are to follow up on the revocation of mining business permits, borrow-to-use forest area permits, land use rights, and building use rights, which are based on the permit verification and clarification process from the company.
The results of the task force’s work continued with the revocation of forest area concession permits to 15 companies by the Head of BKPM on March 29, 2022. Three of the companies whose licenses were revoked were companies that had permits to release forest areas in Papua, namely PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PNM) in Jayapura Regency covering an area of 16,182.48 hectares, PT Menara Wasior (MW) in Teluk Wondama Regency covering an area of 28,838.82 hectares, and PT Tunas Agung Sejahtera (TAS) in Mimika Regency covering an area of 39,500.42 hectares, with a total area of 84,521.72 hectares. The government is very serious in revoking company permits that are not in accordance with their designation and do not carry out their obligations, said Bahlil in a written statement (30/032022).
PT Tunas Agung Sejahtera and PT Permata Nusa Mandiri are the two companies that received permits for releasing forest areas under Minister Zulkifli Hasan. He gave the release towards the end of his tenure as Minister of Forestry, who had been investigated for alleged corruption cases. President Joko Widodo, re-appointed Zulkifli Hasan, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party, as Minister of Trade on 15 June 2022.
The three companies PT PNM, PT TAS, and PT MW, whose licenses were revoked, are subsidiaries of the Indo Gunta Group, whose shares and businesses are suspected to be owned and controlled by Anthoni Salim, Director of Indofood Sukses Makmur TBK, and the majority shareholder of Salim/Indofood Group. a tycoon who controls the land and palm oil business in Indonesia. Indogunta and IndoAgri have the same logo design. This logo is a trademark of Indofood. Several Indogunta and Indofood subsidiaries under IndoAgri also share the same office.
The companies oppose and challenge the government’s decision to revoke the companies’ license. On June 14, 2022 three companies, PT PNM, PT TAS, and PT MW, challenged the decision of the Minister of Investment / Head of the Investment Coordinating Board to the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN). The case was registered with case numbers 166/G/2022/PTUN.JKT, 167/G/2022/PTUN.JKT, and 168/G/2022/PTUN.JKT.
This legal situation is of concern to the indigenous peoples around the concession area of the plaintiff’s company and civil society organizations to defend the rights of indigenous peoples and the environment.
“The lawsuit will lengthen the path of the community’s struggle to reclaim their customary territory,” said Tigor Hutapea, a staff of the Bentala Rakyat Heritage Foundation. Tigor emphasized the importance of customary areas for indigenous peoples to be maintained as forests, which are useful as a source of food for indigenous peoples.
“The forest in Gime Nawa, and the surrounding area has a lot of potential. Even the community has managed it as a conservation area based on indigenous peoples,” said Sekar Banjaran Aji, Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace Indonesia. According to Sekar, if the presence of oil palm plantation companies is maintained, the biodiversity will be increasingly threatened and even extinct.
Therefore, to face this corporate backlash, the government must deal with it transparently, the government must disclose to the public all the considerations and results of the evaluation carried out by the Land Use Management Task Force. The public, especially indigenous peoples, will certainly support the government’s steps to maintain the revocation. In addition, to maintain the remaining forests, the government must accelerate the recognition of indigenous peoples and the determination of their customary territories.
Contact Person:
– Tigor Hutapea Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat: +62 812-8729-6684
– Sekar Banjaran Aji, Greenpeace Indonesia: +62 812-8776-9880
Bangun Bumi Papua is the name of the Food Estate project promoted and managed by PT Alamindo Lestari Sejahtera Tbk (ALS) for the development of agriculture, plantation, livestock, fisheries and tourism businesses, which are planned to be located in the PT ALS forest concession area in West Papua Province.
PT ALS company currently has subsidiaries companies which is operating and will operate in West Papua, namely (1) PT Prabu Alaska which has a logging permit located in Fakfak, Kaimana and Boven Digoel Regencies, with a total area of 454,700 hectares; (2) PT Rimbakayu Arthamas, which has a logging permit located in Teluk Bintuni Regency, with a total area of 130,400 hectares; (3) PT Karas Industri Papua, a wood processing company, is located in Karas District, Fakfak Regency.
Based on the Bangun Bumi Papua Project Map, it is planned that the forest area of the PT Prabu Alaska concession area in Fakfak covering an area of 7,356 hectares will be converted into corn plantations, and the PT Rimbakayu Arthamas concession in Teluk Bintuni Regency to be converted for a livestock location covering an area of 77,767 hectares.
The Bangun Bumi Papua proposal plans to develop an integrated livestock industry starting in 2022, namely the development of beef cattle breeding and fattening businesses, and the development of corn, grass, and straw plants for the procurement of animal feed. It takes about 120,000 hectares of land for an integrated livestock industry. The ALS Manager Team has met the Vice President’s Special Staff.
The project’s entire concession reaches 705,100 ha, an area larger than the U.S. state of Delaware
or 120,000 ha larger than the entire Indonesian province of Bali.
The integrated livestock industry project is managed by PT Nuansa Lestari Sejahtera, a livestock and agricultural cultivation company, which is currently cultivating land in Bomberay District, Fakfak Regency and in Kebar District, Tambrauw Regency. It is hoped that in 2036, this livestock industry will make West Papua Province the first province in Indonesia as a national cattle barn towards the realization of beef self-sufficiency.
The Forest and Land Degradation threat in Conservation District
In January 2021, investors and directors of PT ALS held an audience with the Staff of the Vice President, Yulian Hadromo, Sukriansyah and Lukman Hakim, presenting the Blue Print for Bangun Bumi Papua for a food estate. The support and response of the Vice President’s Staff is not yet clear. The ALS company is continuing its efforts to meet the Governor of West Papua, Dominggus Mandacan and Kadishut, (Kepala Dinas Kehutanan), the Head of Forestry Department FH Rubaweri, in February 2021.
In January 2022, the company PT Nuansa Lestari Sejahtera (NLS) met with the Regent of Tambrauw, presenting a plan to develop an integrated livestock industry. The government of Tambrauw and PT NLS invited community leaders in Lembah Kebar for a meeting to socialize the company’s plan for the development of cattle and feed crops in Kebar District, Tembrauw Regency, in March 2022.
Requirements for business permits have not yet been issued. The Indigenous peoples of the affected Kebar and Sinopi valleys are split between opposition and support for the company’s plans. On May 19, 2022, youth, university students and students from the Tambrauw area staged a protest against the company operating in Kebar which was delivered via YouTube. The youth and students’ actions asked the district government not to become a facilitator for the company and not to give permission to the company, arguing that Tambrauw Regency is a conservation area that should be managed sustainably.
In 2011, Tambrauw Regency was designated as a Conservation Regency with an area of 11,529.18 Km2. About 75% of the Tambrauw area is used as a conservation and protected area. The results of the Tambrauw Expedition (LIPI, 2019) revealed that the forest condition in Tambrauw is in a climax phase which is a characteristic of primary forests which are rich in flora and fauna biodiversity, with unique ecosystem types. One of them is the grassland and forest ecosystem in the Kebar Valley, where endemic bees live. This group of bees acts as a pest control agent.
However, currently, forest and grassland areas in Tambrauw Regency are facing threats due to policies and the issuance of business permits for logging, large-scale plantations, livestock and mining industries, as well as infrastructure development, which is carried out by ignoring the principles of sustainable development, justice and respect for indigenous peoples’ rights. This in turn will lead to potential disasters and environmental damage, socio-economic problems, which will greatly affect people’s lives and the environment, as well as the surrounding area.
This large-scale development and investment project will increase the extinction of flora and fauna. Some flora and fauna in Tambrauw have a high level of extinction threat on the ICUN Red List, namely the Dipterocarp plant species, namely Hopea Gregoria, and the irian hedgehog mammal (nokdiak naroten), the mambruk bird (goura cristata) and epimachus fastosus.
Investors Integrity
The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (2022), said that the government will continue to improve natural resource management so that there is equity, transparency and fairness. He also said that Indonesia is open to credible investors, who have a good track record and reputation, and are committed to contributing to the welfare of the people and preserving nature.
The implementation of the President’s commitment is still far from being realized. The food estate project ‘Bangun Bumi Papua’ in the development of an integrated livestock industry involving companies such as PT Alamindo Lestari Sejahtera and PT Nuansa Lestari Sejahtera, which still cannot be called credible investors, who can prosper the people, be fair and preserve the nature. The financier companies involved in the integrated livestock industry are suspected of having a bad history of legal problems and conflicts of interest.
Based on the data from the Directorate General of AHU, Ministry of Law and Human Rights (2022) it is known that PT Nuansa Lestari Sejahtera (NLS) shares are owned by (1) PT Artha Tera Niaga (15 percent); (2) PT Puma Berkatindo (10 %), and (3) Juan Mulya (75 %). The dominant shareholder, Juan Mulya, is a partner of Kim Johanes Mulia, the dominant shareholder of PT Alamindo Lestari Sejahtera through PT Intra Alamindo Investama. Kim Johanes Mulia has several times stumbled into legal problems in financial scandals.
Meanwhile, the shareholders of PT Artha Tera Niaga (ATN) are (1) PT Supradinakarya Multijaya (40%); (2) PT Mitrausaha Suma Perdana (30%); (3) PT Inara Investama Internusa (30%); Rinaldy Ananda (Director); Sumadi Seng (President Commissioner); Andri Boenjamin (Commissioner). The company PT Supradinakarya Multijaya (SM) is owned by Enggartiasto Lukita, a former official of the Minister of Trade (2016-2019) and administrator of the National Democratic Party (2022). Co-owners of shares are his wife Kho Pik Hiang and his children Rina Anandita and Rinaldy Ananda.
The company PT Inara Investama Internusa is owned by Andri Boenjamin (Director) and Rudy Samuel, and the company PT Mitrausaha Suma Perdana, owned by Sumadi Seng (Director) and Eddy (Commissioner). It is known that Andri Boenjamin, as Director of PT Kencana Investindo Nugraha, was once investigated by the KPK regarding the permit case for the Tering Bay sea reclamation for the development of the Batam Marina Bay mega project, Riau Islands Province. Andri Boenjamin is the younger brother of Karli Boenjamin, a palm oil entrepreneur and the deputy chairman of the Nasdem Party High Council.
The controversial investor, Sumadi Seng, became the shareholder of PT NLS through PT Inara Investama Internusa. Sumadi is known as a port business ruler and is involved in corruption crimes, being a liaison for customs and excise officials, law enforcement and Senayan politicians (TEMPO, 2014). Sumadi Seng also serves as the President Commissioner of the company PT Inti Bios Persada Sejahtera, which was founded by Enggartiasto Lukita for the clinic business and PCR swab laboratory.
Ank, May 2022
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