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
In January – April 2022, it was discovered that two companies have been clearing forests for the expansion of oil palm plantations, namely PT Inti Kebun Sejahtera (IKSJ) in Klawiri Hamlet, Moi Sigin District, and PT Inti Kebun Sawit (IKS), in Klawor Village, Seget District, Sorong Regency.
Based on satellite image information and residents’ statements, the estimated loss of forest areas due to clearing by the two companies is 300 hectares in total, namely 60 hectares by PT IKSJ and 240 hectares by PT IKS. It is predicted that the deforestation areas will increase.
PT IKSJ and PT IKS are owned by and are subsidiaries of PT Ciliandry Anky Abadi (CAA), an Indonesian private company, which acquired the two companies from Kayu Lapis Indonesia (KALIA) Group, owned by the Sutanto family. CAA also acquired an oil palm company, PT Inti Kebun Lestari (IKL), in this region.
Part of the shares in the said three companies and the shares in PT CAA are held by Ciliandry Fangiono. Forbes named Ciliandra Fangiono one of Indonesia’s richest persons, and he is the CEO of First Resources. The connection between CAA and First Resources still exists, but First Resources refused to be associated with CAA.
The report by www.chainreactionresearch.com stated that CAA is part of the top 10 companies which caused deforestation in 2020. CAA owns the palm oil factories of PT Tirta Madua and PT Borneo Ketapang Indah which supply palm oil to large companies, Avon, Frieland Campina, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, L’Oreal, etc.
In Papua, the Report on the Results of Evaluation of Oil Palm Plantation Licenses in West Papua Province (2021) revealed that three companies, PT IKSJ, PT IKS, and PT IKL, have committed license administration legality violations and operational violations, among other things, they failed to fulfill the obligations in the plantation business license (IUP), are yet to develop plasma plantations, did not report the changes in shareholding and management, carried out unauthorized forest clearing for plantation (2008), etc.
In 2021, the Regent of Sorong revoked the business license of PT Inti Kebun Lestari. The company contested the regent’s decision and sued through the Jayapura State Administrative Court up to filing an appeal with the Makassar State Administrative High Court.
The customary communities around PT IKSJ and PT IKS said that the companies had been clearing forests without engaging the communities, they provided insufficient information, and their presence has led to tensions and dissents among the community groups, which resulted in difficulties in the hunting for livelihood and other food sources.
“The companies gave a lot of empty promises without any realization, we demand that the companies stop here and refrain from expanding the plantations”, said Nelson Katumun, a resident who lives at the plantation boundary in Klawiri hamlet.
Ank, May 2022
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia (15 March,a 2022) —A new investigation released today by Environmental Paper Network (EPN), Mighty Earth, Pusaka, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC), Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) and Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) details the devastation of pristine forests in the remote province of Papua land, Indonesia. Essentially, this paradise for biodiversity, Indigenous culture, and carbon capture is being devastated to produce wood chips for papermaking that are being branded as sustainably and ethically sourced products to consumers across the globe.
Moorim Paper, a South Korean company, through its subsidiary company, PT Plasma Nutfah Marind Papua (PT PNMP) has cleared more than six thousand hectares of forests between 2015 and 2021. With 64,000 hectares of area they manage, more forests will be at risk to be chopped down in the coming years.
Among the demands resulting from the investigation, the coalition is calling upon Moorim to publicly commit to an immediate moratorium to further clearing, pending a thorough analysis for the environmental and social values to be protected; the adoption and implementation of a No Deforestation No Peat No Exploitation (NDPE) policy, including a High Conservation Value – High Carbon Stock Assessment (HCV-HCSA); and the restoration of the area that it has already deforested, including remediate the Indigenous clan rights that have been ignored. Additionally, the coalition urges the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to launch a full investigation of this matter in order to maintain the integrity of the FSC certification.
The Papua rainforests are an authentic biodiversity paradise, home to thousands of unique flora and fauna species of the earth, especially in the area that the company is located is the habitat of tree kangaroos and cassowaries, with many species still to be discovered and catalogued, and others categorised as threatened species by the IUCN Red List.
Until recently, the pristine forests in the remote province of Indonesia, remained relatively intact. Now, however, a wave of industrial plantations is carving up pockets of the region, clearing entire ecosystems as well as Indigenous Peoples’ lands to produce commodities for the global market.
“Paper is sold globally as an eco-friendly plastic substitute, yet it is still coming from deforestation and abuse of indigenous peoples’ rights”, said Sergio Baffoni of Environmental Paper Network (EPN). “We cannot sacrifice the last paradises of the planet for products that end up in the trash bin within a few hours after their first use”.
“Moorim Paper advertises to be the leader of the sustainable pulp and paper industry, but its violations of human rights and the destruction of tropical forests in the pristine island of Papua are not known by the Korean public.” said Soojin Kim of Solution for Our Climate (SFOC). “It is unacceptable that Moorim has ignored this warning of Korean CSOs and continued with business as usual without resolving these issues in the last three years.”
The forests felled by Moorim in Papua belong to the traditional clans, whose rainforest shape their life and culture. Yet, the company’s bulldozers destroyed their fishing ponds, their hunting areas, their sago hamlets and even their sacred sites, where the traditional clan lands harbour their social and spiritual values. Moorim has failed to respect the rights of indigenous communities and to implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to any activities in their lands.
“The company’s failure to respect the rights of indigenous peoples causes socio-economic, cultural and environmental losses” said Franky Samperante, The Executive Director of Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. “Indigenous peoples are already facing difficulties in meeting their needs for quality food and water, livelihood , harmony, in which all of these cannot be replaced with unjust compensation. The government must provide sanctions for alleged violations of the company”.
Furthermore, “This report shows how a company like Moorim has continued to trash the last rainforests in Indonesia whilst hiding behind the FSC green forestry label. The FSC must take swift action against any such company that violates its standards otherwise the FSC label is just greenwash” said Annisa Rahmawati, Mighty Earth Advocate for Indonesia campaigns.
“The Korean government is directly linked to the environmental impacts and human rights violations caused by PT PNMP by providing a 9.1 billion KRW loan to PT PNMP’s mother company, Moorim P&P for its oversea forestry operations. The government should immediately open a transparent and inclusive investigation about the harms caused by PT PNMP as well as require Moorim P&P to conduct the environmental and human rights due diligence on PT PNMP’s business including providing remedies” said Shin Young Chung of Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL).
Time is running out to save our climate and the last frontier forests of the earth as well as the people whose lives depend on it. It’s time to redouble our efforts to break the link between commodity production and the destruction of habitats and treasured places on our planet.
It is time for Moorim to stop hiding under eco-friendly claims. Should Moorim fail to take the necessary steps, its buyers, financiers, and business partners close supply contracts, divest, and suspend financial and services agreements.
The report is available at:
Contacts:
Sergio Baffoni, Environmental Paper Network, +49 1623812528 (CET), [email protected]
Annisa Rahmawati, Mighty Earth, +62 8111097527 (WIB), [email protected]
Franky Samperante, Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat +62 813172 86019 (WIB), [email protected]
Shin Young Chung, Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL), +82 1041479740 (KST); [email protected]
Jayapura, 8 March 2022 – “…We Indigenous women demand the government immediately review all decisions taken and permits given to [oil palm plantation company] PT PNM and any company located in the Grime and Nawa area, Mamta region, or in Tanah Papua, to revoke their licenses because companies that intrude on our traditional lands bring us no advantages, not even the slightest economic benefit…”
So wrote Rosita Tekcuari, the head of the Namblong Indigenous Women’s Organization and residents’ representative, in a statement opposing the presence of PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PT PNM). The letter was supported and signed by 100 members of the Namblong Indigenous People from the Grime and Nawa valleys, Nimbokrang, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, on March 7, 2022.
PT PNM is an oil palm plantation company with a concession in Nimbokrang, in the Indonesian province of Papua. The company has obtained a number of permits, including an environmental permit (February 2014), plantation business permit (March 2014), state forest release (August 2014), and land cultivation rights (HGU) for certain parts of their concession (August and November 2018).
“These permits were issued without the knowledge of the Indigenous landowners,” explained Septer Manufandu, Executive Secretary of JERAT Papua. Septer said that the permits were issued perfunctorily, with the community only coming to know of them when the company began carrying out activities in the field.
In early January 2022, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced the revocation of a number of permits nationwide, including oil palm plantation permits. This announcement was followed by Minister of Environment and Forestry Decree No. 1/2022 which lists PT PNM as one of the companies whose state forest release permit was revoked.
For Indigenous people who have long harbored concern about the presence of PT PNM, the president’s announcement was cause for hope, especially since the Ministry of Environment and Forestry followed up by revoking the company’s state forest release. However, recent company activities in the field suggest their hope may be premature.
According to a Mongabay report, the company’s camp had been inactive for almost the past two years. A few days after President Jokowi’s announcement however, the company began land clearing activities. Greenpeace satellite monitoring from early January to 12 February 2022 showed that 70 hectares of forest was bulldozed in the PT PNM concession. This activity was strongly opposed by Indigenous People.
The planned plantation by PT PNM, that Greenpeace has previously linked to tycoon Anthoni Salim,[1] has been steadfastly rejected by Rosita Tekcuari since information about the company’s permits came to light. In 2018, the Regent of Jayapura actually recognised Bukit Isyo Rhempang Muaif as the customary forest of the Yawadatum Indigenous People. This designation covers forest that is included within the PT PNM concession.
“The company’s presence will result in the loss of community livelihoods, shelter, and loss of animals that used to live alongside them such as the several endemic Bird of Paradise species,” said Franky Samperante, Director of Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. The lowland rainforest PT PNM plans to clear to produce palm oil is currently the living space for the Indigenous People of the Grime and Nawa valleys, including for Rosita.
Clearing and logging activities carried out by the company since the permit revocation in January 2022 would appear to be illegal under the Forestry Law. Furthermore, “after checking on the official website of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, there is no record of payments of forest resource provision (PSDH) and reforestation funds (DR) by PT PNM, from 2019 to March 7, 2022,” said Nico Wamafma, Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaigner. Payment of PSDH and DR is a legal requirement for all companies engaged in logging activities.
Representing the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability in Tanah Papua, Franky Samperante of Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation asked the company to stop its activities and asked the government to revoke all the permits held by the company. “The company ignores the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and its plans threaten the forests and animals in the Grime and Nawa valleys,” said Franky. Revocations should be carried out by the provincial and regency governments, especially considering that a permit evaluation process has been underway since the Palm Oil Moratorium was instituted in 2018.
“Law enforcement must be taken the company for its forest clearing activities since January 2022,” added Nico.
Contact:
Septer Manufandu: +62 811-4885-090
Nico Wamafma: +62 821-9758-5110
Franky Samperante: 0813 1728 6019
Media notes:
[1] See p. 131-132 in Greenpeace International 2021 report Licence to Clear.
- Photos and videos from the field and from the submission of Position Statement Letter to the Jayapura Regent, 07 March 2022
- Satellite image sequence of land clearing in the PT PNM concession
Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability in Tanah Papua:
- Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat
- JERAT Papua
- WALHI Papua
- Greenpeace Indonesia
- HuMA Association
- ICEL
- Association for the Assessment and Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples (PPMA) Papua
- Epistema
- JPIC Foundation GKI Synod in Tanah Papua
- Panah Papua Association
- LBH Papua
- Elsam
- Papuan Voices
- Teraju Indonesia
- JURnal Celebes
- PADI Indonesia
- Yayasan Etnika Kosmologi Katulistiwa
- Kaoem Telapak
- MNUKWAR Papua
- Yapen Indigenous Peoples Customary Council
- Belantara Papua Association
- Independent Forestry Monitoring Network
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