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Indonesian forestry minister proposes 20m hectares of deforestation for crops

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HANS NICHOLAS JONG 9 JAN 2025 ASIA

  • Indonesia’s forestry minister says 20 million hectares (50 million acres) of forest can be converted to grow food and biofuel crops, or an area twice the size of South Korea.
  • Experts have expressed alarm over the plan, citing the potential for massive greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity.
  • They also say mitigating measures that the minister has promised, such as the use of agroforestry and the involvement of local communities, will have limited impact in such a large-scale scheme.
  • The announcement coincides with the Indonesian president’s call for an expansion of the country’s oil palm plantations, claiming it won’t result in deforestation because oil palms are also trees.

JAKARTA — An Indonesian government plan to clear forests spanning an area twice the size of South Korea for food and biofuel crops has sparked fears of massive greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

The country’s forestry minister, Raja Juli Antoni, announced on Dec. 30, 2024, that his office had identified forest areas spanning 20 million hectares (50 million acres) for potential conversion into “food and energy estates.”

The announcement triggered an immediate backlash, as similar food estate programs in the past have failed, often leaving a legacy of environmental destruction. Indonesia has the world’s third-largest expanse of tropical rainforest, after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and such a vast amount of deforestation would deal a major blow to global efforts of limiting global warming, said Amalya Reza Oktaviani, bioenergy campaign manager at the NGO Trend Asia.

The clearing of 20 million hectares of forests could release up to 22 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions from nearly 5,300 coal-fired power plants.

“This [food and energy estate plan] shows how the government doesn’t have a commitment to reforest and rehabilitate natural forests,” Amalya said. “In reality, we don’t have the luxury of deforesting amid the climate crisis.”

Yet the plan aligns with the platform of President Prabowo Subianto, who has prioritized achieving both food and energy self-sufficiency as cornerstones of his administration. Since his election campaign in late 2023 and early 2024, Prabowo has emphasized the need for Indonesia to achieve sovereignty in these critical sectors to bolster economic resilience and national security.

Over decades, unbridled agricultural expansion has already destroyed vast swaths of Indonesia’s rainforests, turning the country into a significant global emitter of greenhouse gases. From 2013 to 2022, Indonesia ranked as the world’s second-largest emitter from land-use change, contributing 20% of global land-use emissions.

Agroforestry claims

In response to criticism, Forestry Minister Raja said the government would minimize deforestation by implementing agroforestry, a system where crop cultivation is interspersed among trees. Potential crops include rice and sugar palms, which, Raja said, would allow for sustainable food production.

“By planting various trees [together with food and energy crops], our forests can provide food self-sufficiency through a very sustainable system,” he said at his office in Jakarta on Jan. 6.

Studies suggest agroforestry can help maintain tree cover and wildlife habitats; examples from places like Brazil suggest it can improve farmer livelihood and slow down forest loss. Agroforestry can also help maintain tree cover and wildlife habitat, particularly in regions where agriculture is a major driver of deforestation.

However, critics say that at the scale that the Indonesian government wants to expand its crop estate, agroforestry alone will be insufficient to prevent large-scale deforestation. Agroforestry only works if forest cover is retained, according to Herry Purnomo, a senior scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). If forests are cleared for crops, then even under an agroforestry system this loss of intact forests would contribute to biodiversity loss and emissions, he said.

“My hope is that intact forests are not cut down and replaced with rice fields,” Herry, who is also a professor at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), told Mongabay.

Secondary forests ‘not expendable’

A key uncertainty remains about the Ministry of Forestry’s plan: where are the 20 million hectares of forest it’s targeting for the food and biofuel crops?

The ministry has indicated it will prioritize abandoned or idle forestry concessions, known by the Indonesian acronym PBPH. These include selective logging concessions that the ministry says no longer contain primary forest.

Ade Tri Ajikusumah, head of the ministry’s planning department, said approximately 20 million hectares of Indonesia’s 37 million hectares (91 million acres) of forestry concessions are inactive.

“That’s what we use for agroforestry, so there’s no land clearing,” he told Mongabay.

Since these concessions have already been logged in the past, they no longer contain old-growth, or primary, forest, defined as forests that haven’t been damaged by human activity and thus are some of the densest and most ecologically significant forests on Earth, Ade said.

However, critics contend that even idle concessions can still contain significant forest cover. Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Sekar Banjaran Aji pointed out that there were still 18.9 million hectares (47 million acres) of natural forests within forestry concessions, including selective logging and industrial forest concessions, as of 2022.

“Nearly 20 million hectares of forestry concessions are still forested, which means there’s a high risk of deforestation” if those areas are then converted for the food and energy estates, she told Mongabay.

Selective logging concessions in particular typically have higher forest cover because companies only harvest timber from certain commercially valuable trees above a certain size, leaving much of the forest structure relatively undisturbed and allowing the logged forest to regenerate over time.

Ade said that even if the idle concessions are still forested, they’re likely to be forests that were previously logged and thus have been degraded, also known as secondary forest.

But not all secondary forests are heavily degraded, said Timer Manurung, director of Indonesian environmental NGO Auriga Nusantara. Many are still in good condition, with high carbon stock, lots of biodiversity, and still providing invaluable environmental services, he said.

“Secondary forests often have higher biodiversity than primary forests,” Timer told Mongabay. “Species like tigers, elephants and orangutans are abundant in these areas. The idea that secondary forests are expendable is a fatal misconception.”

Timer called on the government to protect all natural forests, including secondary forests within concessions, rather than differentiating them based on degradation status. He also called on the government to make it clear what criteria it uses to determine whether a concession is idle.

What crops?

Another question is what crops will be planted for the food and energy estates.

So far Raja has only mentioned rice and sugar palms as potential crops. Trend Asia’s Amalya said another likely candidate is oil palm, given that Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil. Past food estate programs also ended up planting oil palms, even though they were initially planned for rice, Amalya said.

Furthermore, Indonesia’s energy policy also promotes bioenergy, which focuses on palm oil-based biodiesel. Currently the country already uses the world’s highest proportion of palm oil in its biodiesel, and Prabowo has a plan to increase the blend with conventional diesel to 50%, known as B50, as early as this year.

But to produce enough palm oil to meet the B50 program need alone, the total planted area of oil palms will need to expand by up to three times the current size, which already covers 16 million hectares (40 million acres).

The potential inclusion of palm oil in the food and energy estate program has raised concerns among environmentalists, as oil palm plantations have historically been a significant driver of deforestation in the country. Over the past 20 years, these plantations accounted for one-third of Indonesia’s loss of old-growth forest — an area of 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres), or half the size of Belgium.

These concerns have been inflamed by recent comments from President Prabowo, who suggested that deforestation for palm oil expansion isn’t environmentally destructive.

“And I think in the future, we also need to plant more palm oil. We don’t need to be afraid of endangering — what’s it called — deforestation, right?” he said.

“Oil palms are trees, right? They have leaves, right?” he went on.

The expansion of palm oil for energy could spell disaster for Indonesia’s forests and contradict the country’s energy transition agenda to reduce emissions, Amalya said.

“The emissions from forest clearing, combined with those from burning palm oil for biofuel in transportation and biomass in power generation, will worsen the climate crisis,” she said. “In the energy sector, the government needs to revisit bioenergy policies, particularly those involving palm oil and wood-based feedstocks.”

Conflict risk

Besides deforestation risk, the plan to establish 20 million hectares of food and energy estates also poses a high risk of agrarian conflicts with local and Indigenous communities, Timer said.

The idle concessions identified by the Ministry of Forestry are likely to overlap with villages and areas already managed by communities, he said. “This will create conflicts with local communities.”

Amalya stressed the importance of completing forest boundary delineation to avoid such conflicts. As of December 2022, only 89% of Indonesia’s forest areas had been formally delineated. Without clear boundaries, the food and energy estate program could encroach on community lands or protected areas, Amalya said. As such, large-scale projects like this shouldn’t proceed until forest boundaries are fully delineated, she added.

Ade, whose department is in charge of the delineating process, acknowledged that delineation is a priority, adding that the physical mapping process is complete, with legal recognition pending.

Community involvement

Besides finishing the delineating process, the Ministry of Forestry will also include Indigenous and local communities in the food and energy estate plan through agroforestry to respect their rights, Ade said.

“We also need to collaborate with people through agroforestry and social forestry program [in establishing the food and energy estates],” he said.

Herry of CIFOR welcomed the inclusion of communities but questioned the feasibility at such a large scale.

“If the size [of the estates] is big, then the actors [involved] must be big as well,” Herry said. “How can communities manage 10,000 hectares [25,000 acres of land]? The ones who can manage 10,000 hectares are medium to large [corporations],” he said. This raises the risk of the government handing over management of these lands from communities to corporations, but Herry said the government has a duty to work with communities to build their capacity.

He and other experts agree that while agroforestry and community involvement are steps in the right direction, without robust safeguards, including transparency, the protection of all natural forests, clear boundary delineation and meaningful community participation, the program is bound to fail, much like previous food estate programs in Indonesia.

Alternative to crop expansion

In the mid-1990s, the government initiated a food estate project that sought to establish 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of rice plantations on peatlands across the Bornean province of Central Kalimantan to boost food security.

The project failed spectacularly, leaving behind a dried-out wasteland that burns on a large scale almost every year. Subsequent attempts to replicate the project in other regions, like the easternmost region of Papua, also ended in failure.

Given such high risks and a record of failures, parliament has urged the Ministry of Forestry to proceed carefully.

“The forestry minister should be cautious and not rush in making decisions. Do in-depth studies [first], invite academics and civil society in making a comprehensive plan where development is in line with forest conservation,” said Ahmad Yohan, a deputy head of the parliamentary commission that oversees environmental and agricultural issues. “Even if it’s for food and energy security, don’t sacrifice the forest.”

If the risks are too high, he said, the government should go back to the drawing board and seek other means of achieving food security without establishing new agricultural fields and clearing forests in the process.

For instance, the government could work with experts to increase the yield of existing agricultural fields through technology, Ahmad said. It could also improve farmers’ access to fertilizer, provide them with training, and modernize their agricultural equipment, he said.

“This way, achieving food security and self-sufficiency doesn’t require destroying forests to establish new plantations,” Ahmad said. “We can maximize the use of existing lands, improve the irrigation systems and the technology.”

Banner image: Forest near Rabia on the island of Waigeo in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Image by Rhett Ayers Butler/Mongabay.

Debunking deforestation

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Indonesia’s new president, former disgraced general Prabowo Subianto, is making an awkward discovery:  gaining respect in the international community as head of a nation of 280 million civilians is not the same as ordering a special squad to intimidate.

You can’t force the masses to grow more food, work smarter and change habits – then expect no blow-back from the rest of the world if your policies endanger all.

Like Donald Trump promoting hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as unverified COVID-19 cures, Prabowo suffers from the dictator’s delusion – that a ballot-box win (58%) turns a politician into a seer refuting established science.

At the end of December, he reportedly told delegates to a national development congress in Jakarta that more jungle should be cleared for palm oil plantations.  The address was broadcast:

“We don’t need to be afraid of endangering — what’s it called — deforestation, right?

“Oil palms are trees, right? They have leaves, right? They produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide. So why are we being accused (of deforestation)? Those things they say (about deforestation) don’t make any sense.”

Although there have been no threats against the existing plantations (how do foreign powers seize palms?), Prabowo has sprayed the zone with paranoia. His favourite colour is khaki, not green.

He’s ordered the military, the police and regional officials “to enhance security measures around palm oil plantations throughout Indonesia” because he reckons Indonesia’s palm oil commodities are being targeted.

“They (unspecified) really need our palm oil. It turns out that palm oil is a strategic material,” Prabowo told the planning meeting.  That’s not news – it has been an internationally important commodity for decades.

The British-based Gecko Project which claims to be a non-profit news agency tracing land use, reports that Prabowo’s net worth is US$133 million:

“In media profiles, he is reported as owning multiple companies involved in coal mining, forestry and other sectors …at a campaign event in January, he took a rival to task for underestimating the scale of the land over which he presides. “It’s not 340,000 hectares, it’s closer to 500,000 hectares.”

Fears of foreigners taking jobs, land and lifestyles is a standard theme in right-wing politicians’ playbooks almost everywhere – think Peter Dutton’s 2018 African gang violence comments keeping Victorians housebound.

In reality, Prabowo’s thundering is not about an armed invasion by 1.6 million fat gut Ozzies taking a break from boozing in Bali, but an economic assault. China has major stakes in nickel mines and smelters in Sulawesi and has lent the Republic more than US$27 billion so far.

Oil palms store carbon ineffectively, according to Dr Herry Purnomo, a professor at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture: “Forests store around 300 tons of CO2 per hectare, ten times more than oil palm plantations.”

Indonesia is the world’s top producer of palm oil used for cooking, cosmetics, jet fuel and industry.  The archipelago has 17.3 million hectares of plantations.

The total size of Java, the most heavily populated island in the archipelago, is 13.2 million hectares.

Millions of square kilometres of the country’s richly diverse jungles have been cleared in recent decades. Sumatra has lost 80% of its forest cover, and Kalimantan about 50%.  Your correspondent has travelled vast distances of horizon-to-horizon monoculture in East Kalimantan.

By December, Indonesian exports will be hit by the European Union’s anti-deforestation regulations if endorsed by the European Council.

Prabowo’s comments can be seen as an attempt to arouse local hostilities to the new law that “requires companies to demonstrate their products aren’t sourced to deforested land or land with forest degradation”.

In 2019, President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo issued a permanent moratorium on forest clearance for palm plantations and logging.  It had little effect.

In 2023, it was reported that 30,000 hectares of pristine jungle had been bulldozed and burned for plantations, up from 22,000 hectares the previous year. Smoke pollution has infuriated nearby Malaysia and Singapore.

It’s not just the greenies getting stressed – investors with consciences are also turning twitchy. One international group claimed forest cover loss “significantly impacts the environment, biodiversity, and local communities. Deforestation leads to soil erosion (and) fertility”.

“The country is home to many endangered species, such as orangutans, tigers, and elephants. The loss of forests and habitat destruction threaten these species’ survival.

“(Clearing) also affects the livelihoods of local communities that rely on forests for food, medicine, and income.” In 2018, the Indonesian Ombudsman received more than 1000 complaints from communities, including indigenous people, against palm oil companies.

Felling threatens 193 species listed by the Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature. These widely reported concerns appear to have ricochetted off Prabowo and left his plans to clear, grow and export largely unharmed, apart from sniping by NGOs.

Uli Arta Siagian from Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia  (Indonesian Forum for the Environment), founded in 1980, told the Straits Times that “the police and military in Indonesia had tended to side with palm oil companies embroiled in conflict with the local communities, and often used intimidation and violence against them”.

“What’s surprising is that the statement of palm oil not causing deforestation because it has leaves, was made by the president, who should have spoken based on science, knowledge, research and facts.”

But when you run the world’s fourth-largest nation and your devious reasoning gets reported by a largely supine media, why bother referencing sources?

Duncan Graham

Duncan Graham has been a journalist for more than 40 years in print, radio and TV. He is the author of People Next Door (UWA Press). He is now writing for the English language media in Indonesia from within Indonesia.
Duncan Graham has an MPhil degree, a Walkley Award, two Human Rights Commission awards and other prizes for his radio, TV and print journalism in Australia. He lives in East Java.

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Military members shoot three Papuans in Dogiyai Regency

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Cases / Indonesia, West Papua / 20 December 2024 

A shooting incident involving the Indonesian military (TNI) occurred in Dogiyai Regency, Central Papua (Papua tengah) Province, on 16 December 2024, leaving three civilians injured. The incident began around 10:00 AM following a traffic accident and subsequent confrontation.

According to local residents’ reports, the sequence of events unfolded as follows:

The incident was triggered by a collision between a vehicle reportedly belonging to security personnel and a motorcyclist in the Dogomo area of Nabire SPC. Although the motorcyclist was conscious after the accident, local residents were dissatisfied with the driver’s response and demanded accountability.

The situation escalated when the driver fled to a nearby military command post seeking refuge from angry residents. In response to residents throwing objects at the location where the driver was sheltering, military personnel reportedly responded by firing live ammunition, resulting in injuries to three civilians – two men and one woman.

The victims have been identified as:

  • Agustinus Kotouki from Digikebo Village, South Kamu District, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his thigh
  • Alo Mote from Puweta I Village, South Kamu District, who suffered severe blunt force trauma to the front of his head and upper spine
  • Agustina Adii from Puweta I Village, South Kamu District, who sustained head injuries from blunt force trauma

All three victims are currently receiving medical treatment at Paniai Hospital in Madi, where doctors performed procedures to remove bullet projectiles. Their conditions are reported to be improving.

Local residents have strongly condemned what they describe as excessive use of force by security personnel in handling the situation. The incident has added to ongoing concerns about human rights violations against civilians in Papua.

The reports are based on accounts from local residents and human rights defenders (HRDs). The incident has highlighted tensions between security forces and civilians in the region, with residents calling for accountability and appropriate action regarding the use of force in civilian areas.

Civil groups condemn assault on West Papua activist  

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A group of unidentified individuals attacked Papua environmental activist Sulvianto Alias on Friday midnight, with one of the suspects claiming to be a police officer, prompting calls from civil groups for the police to investigate the case thoroughly. News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, December 22, 2024

C ivil society organizations have condemned the assault committed by an unidentified group on environmental activist Sulfianto Alias in Teluk Bintuni regency, West Papua, on Friday, with one of the perpetrators claiming to be a police officer. The assault took place when Sulvianto, who is also a coordinator of Panah Papua legal aid institute (LSM), was leaving a cafe in the regency at midnight. “Some people shouted at me in the parking lot. They later chased and beat me when I tried to flee to the café’s backyard,” the activist said on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com. 

 One of the assailants, who claimed to be a police officer, forced him to get onto an off-road motorcycle to take him to a police station. But they diverted to a forest near Tanah Merah village, where the gang continued to interrogate and beat him. During the assault, Sulvianto claimed that the attackers ordered him to unlock his phone. One of his friends, identified as Roy, called him.

“The assailants ordered me to answer the call and tell Roy that I was at home. But I told my friend that I was in Tanah Merah while moaning in pain,” Sulvianto said.

The perpetrators then moved him to another location, where they continued the assault, including using a rock and wooden stick.  The activist claimed that the assailants questioned whether he supported a certain political candidate in the regency. He denied having ties with any political figures, but the assailants kept beating him until they left him alone at 2 a.m. on Saturday. Sulvianto managed to walk to the main road and stopped a motorcyclist passing by to ask for help. He was taken to a hospital and later filed a report with the Teluk Bintuni Police.

Sulvianto and his group Panah Papua recently worked on a campaign against an oil palm company, as well as a national strategic project (PSN) producing fertilizer in West Papua. Environmental group the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) condemned the incident, describing it as an example of the poor protection provided by the state for anyone voicing criticism against violent acts, which have been used to silence people fighting for justice. 

Sulvianto’s case is one more in the long list of abuse faced by environmental and human rights defenders, according to WALHI, with at least 1,131 individuals across the country assaulted or criminalized in the past 10 years. Only half of the cases were brought to court, with their trials ending in imprisonment. Some activists have even been murdered, such as Golfrid Siregar, an environmental lawyer who was found dead in North Sumatra in 2019. “These incidents show that the fight for our right to a healthy environment comes with a hefty price,” WALHI wrote in a statement on Saturday.


“We believe that a healthy environment is the right of every citizen. Therefore, every attempt to silence environmental defenders is a serious attack that cannot be left unpunished,” the group added, calling for the police to arrest all perpetrators and thoroughly investigate the case. A similar call for the police to solve the case was also raised by a group of 86 activists in a statement issued on Saturday. 

They also called for state officials and law enforcement institutions to protect environmental and human rights defenders and prevent similar violent acts from happening in the future, they said as reported by tribunnews.com. Teluk Bintuni Police have arrested five suspects in the case, as reported by local media. One suspect, identified only as LA, is a son of a candidate for Teluk Bintuni regent in November’s election, although the identity of the candidate has not been revealed. Another suspect, identified only as DAS, is a police officer. The suspects surrendered themselves on Friday evening, as reported by inews.id. Investigators said they would investigate the motive behind the assault. 

The assault took place a week after the government announced a plan to grant amnesty for around 44,000 convicts, including people jailed in provinces in Papua for criticizing the government. (kuk)

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Minister lauds ANTARA’s dedication to building information ecosystem

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Jakarta (ANTARA) – Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid has praised the dedication of the ANTARA News Agency to building an ecosystem of information that upholds transparency and integrity in Indonesia in the last 87 years.

“We, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, are truly proud to have ANTARA as an integral part of the government in building the information and communication ecosystem,” she said at ANTARA’s 87th anniversary event here on Friday.

According to Hafid, ANTARA has demonstrated its commitment to providing reliable public information. She then expressed appreciation for each person involved in the process.

She said that ANTARA’s role is becoming increasingly strategic, especially in the era of digital transformation, and needs to be improved by consistently providing reliable information to address the flood of digital information that is often full of hoaxes.

She expressed appreciation for ANTARA’s hard work in providing information, including collaborating with her ministry for various digitalization programs that support information openness.

In addition, the minister expressed the hope that ANTARA would maintain its role as the government’s strategic partner in introducing and providing education on strategic programs implemented under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto to the public.

The issues that ANTARA can educate people about include the impact of the downstreaming of natural resources on job creation, economic equality, legal and bureaucratic reforms, corruption eradication, and environmental conservation.

Furthermore, pushing inclusivity for vulnerable groups is also considered an issue that ANTARA must continue to promote.

Lastly, the minister urged ANTARA to seize opportunities arising from digitalization in Indonesia by developing its services.

“Digitalization provides opportunities for the development of new services, such as data-based news analysis, news podcasts, digital journalism education platforms, and others,” she said.

She then promised that government support for ANTARA will continue, in line with the development of a transparent and accountable information ecosystem in the country.

https://en.antaranews.com/news/336697/antara-seeks-govt-support-to-expand-global-news-coverage

Prabowo to pardon prisoners in drug, Papua-related cases  

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December 13, 2024 22:14 GMT+700 Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto has decided to grant amnesty to several prisoners involved in narcotics to Papua-related cases, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas has informed.

“The President will grant amnesty to several prisoners who we are currently assessing with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections,” he said at a press conference at the Presidential Palace on Friday.

The grant of amnesty is meant to reduce overcapacity at correctional institutions and is based on humanitarian considerations, he added.

According to Agtas, amnesty will be given to prisoners who suffer from long-term illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, and those with mental disorders.

Several people imprisoned in cases connected to the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE), including those convicted of insulting the head of state, will also be given amnesty, he added.

In addition, prisoners linked to cases in Papua, who were not involved in armed action, will also receive the amnesty.

The minister said that the idea is a part of reconciliation efforts in Papua. A total of 18 prisoners involved in Papua-related cases will get amnesty.

“The cases are mostly activist and (form of) expression. This is part of our efforts to make reconciliation efforts with friends in Papua. This demonstrates a good faith to make Papua more peaceful,” he added.

Furthermore, prisoners involved in narcotics cases will also be given amnesty by the President.

“Prisoners in drug cases who should receive rehabilitation will also be given amnesty. However, the exact number will be conveyed after we conduct a further assessment,” he said.

Agtas added that based on data from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, there are around 44 thousand prisoners who meet the criteria for amnesty.

He informed that President Prabowo has approved the amnesty. Furthermore, the amnesty proposal will be submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) for consideration.

“We will ask the DPR to consider this proposal. We will wait after we officially submit it to the House for their consideration,” the minister added. 

Indonesia to pardon tens of thousands including Papua activists

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Friday, 13 Dec 2024  10:23 PM MYT

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/12/13/indonesia-to-pardon-tens-of-thousands-including-papua-activists

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto will pardon tens of thousands of prisoners ranging from activists convicted of defamation to those jailed in the easternmost province of Papua for criticising the government, a minister said on Friday (Dec 13).

Law minister Supratman Andi Agtas said some 44,000 prisoners nationwide might get an amnesty on humanitarian grounds and to help relieve the country’s overcrowded jails.

The number is equivalent to around 30 per cent of all prisoners in the Southeast Asian country, Andi said.

The prisoners to be pardoned include people convicted in defamation and hate speech cases, including those who defamed the president under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transaction Law, Andi added.

Around 18 activists jailed for exercising their freedom of expression to criticise the authorities or staging protests in Papua will be among those freed, said Andi.

“This is part of the effort to reconcile with our friends in Papua. The government has the good intention to make Papua more peaceful,” he said.

Papua came under Indonesian rule in 1969 after a controversial United Nations-backed referendum that many Papuans say did not reflect the will of local people.

Discussions of Papuan independence is a sensitive issue for Indonesia’s government, which has long insisted that the plebiscite was legitimate.

Others set to be freed include those convicted of drug offences who are not dealers as well as prisoners with chronic diseases such as HIV.

The government is now finalising the plan, including drawing up lists of prisoner names. It will also discuss the plan with the parliament.

Prabowo also suggested that those who are pardoned and are still of a productive age should get involved in his programme to achieve food self sufficiency or becomes part of the military reserve force, said Andi.

Prisons in Indonesia are notoriously overcrowded, with experts saying this is partly due to an emphasis on incarceration rather than rehabilitation of people convicted of drug-related offences under the country’s strict narcotics laws. – Reuters

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Indonesian police enhance community literacy amid busy duties in Papua

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Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The Reading and Writing Program (Gabus) implemented by the Jayapura Police since 2021 has effectively boosted the area’s community literacy, considering that the ability to read, write, and count is important for all.

Some Jayapura Police personnel were willing to increase the local residents’ literacy amid their busy schedules of maintaining security and social order. The program, which has been running for three years, is starting to show improvement.

Before running the program, the Jayapura Police prepared its personnel by involving them in a teaching program.

The police participated in training conducted by the Bunda PAUD (Early Childhood Education) program, which is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Through this training, the police gained a better understanding of effective teaching.

The police decided to participate in the education duty since they saw that several children had dropped out of school and were not fluent in reading and writing in the area. In addition, the same was noticed in several adults, thereby necessitating the implementation of the Gabus program.

In the future, all police stations in the Jayapura Police area are expected to implement a similar program to help the community around them.

“Through the Gabus program, the Jayapura Police are trying to help residents improve their literacy,” said Jayapura Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Fredrickus W. A. Maclarimboen.

Activities involving personnel are carried out amid their daily duties, with some even doing it after office hours.

The personnel usually carry out the program between visits to the community, while the policewomen usually execute it after office hours, with a teaching duration of around one hour.

The Jayapura Police have 106 active personnel who are members of the program, and the number of participants is currently 127.

Students who are already fluent in reading and writing will be reported to the Ministry of Education and Culture to take part in the test program and receive a Literacy Certificate (Sukma). Some 12 participants have received Sukma, and more are expected to take the equivalency exam in the future.

The Jayapura Police expressed hope that agencies or parties involved in the education sector would be willing to help and work together to eradicate illiteracy among residents in the district and Papua as well.

Outdoor study

Agustina Felle, a teacher at Komba Elementary School in Sentani Subdistrict, said she was called to join forces with members of the Jayapura Police to teach children and adults who cannot read fluently or who are still illiterate.

As a teacher, she feels responsible for the children around her who cannot read and write fluently, which hinders their education and even causes them to drop out of school.

Hence, the Gabus program is expected to teach children and adults to become more fluent in reading, writing, and even arithmetic so they can pursue higher education in the future.

“They are the future of the nation, so all parties are expected to help educate children,” Felle said.

Apart from teaching, she also provides one of the rooms in her house for teaching and learning activities.

Adjunct Commissioner Khatarina H.L. Aya, a member of the Jayapura Police, said she was glad to teach in the Gabus program.

Aya said that she sometimes carries out these activities in an open space for closer interactions by visiting residents and adjusting to their schedules.

This is different from teaching children and young people who have dropped out of school or who cannot read and write fluently, which she usually does in some residents’ yards.

“We are ready to teach them anywhere. The most important thing is their spirit to learn,” she remarked.

Learning with no shame

Ina Wenda, a Gabus program participant who has recently become literate, commended the dedication of the police, who are willing to take time out to teach those who cannot yet read and write.

Despite being a 50-year-old woman who sells staple goods at Sentani Market, she said she was not embarrassed to study alongside other students.

She was seen diligently writing word by word and listening to the lessons imparted by the policewoman using a small table.

“I want to be able to read and write fluently like everyone else,” Wenda revealed.

Children participating in the program echoed the same aspiration, saying that the Gabus program helps them understand lessons at school.

After participating in the Gabus program, one student, along with several other participants, admitted to having developed greater fluency in reading and writing.

“Thank you to our police who have been teaching us to read and write fluently,” stated Isak, one of the students.

The police’s efforts through this program can change the future of the Gabus participants. By reading and writing fluently, the horizons of the children will be increasingly broadened.

Translator: Evarukdijati, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024

Papuan women’s mangrove forest in Indonesia is increasingly threatened by development and pollution

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On the southeastern coast of Jayapura city lies a mangrove forest where only women are permitted to enter

By EDNA TARIGAN and FIRDIA LISNAWATI – Associated Press 8 hrs ago 

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — On the southeastern coast of the city of Jayapura, Petronela Merauje walked from house to house in her floating village inviting women to join her the next morning in the surrounding mangrove forests.

Merauje and the women of her village, Enggros, practice the tradition of Tonotwiyat, which literally means “working in the forest.” For six generations, women from the 700-strong Papuan population there have worked among the mangroves collecting clams, fishing and gathering firewood.

“The customs and culture of Papuans, especially those of us in Enggros village, is that women are not given space and place to speak in traditional meetings, so the tribal elders provide the mangrove forest as our land,” Merauje said. It’s “a place to find food, a place for women to tell stories, and women are active every day and earn a living every day.”

The forest is a short 13 kilometers (8 miles) away from downtown Jayapura, the capital city of Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province. It’s been known as the women’s forest since 2016, when Enggros’ leader officially changed its name. Long before that, it had already been a space just for women. But as pollution, development and biodiversity loss shrink the forest and stunt plant and animal life, those in the village fear an important part of their traditions and livelihoods will be lost. Efforts to shield it from devastation have begun, but are still relatively small.

Women have their own space — but it’s shrinking

One early morning, Merauje and her 15-year-old daughter took a small motor boat toward the forest. Stepping off on Youtefa Bay, mangrove trees all around, they stood chest-deep in the water with buckets in hand, wiggling their feet in the mud to find bia noor, or soft-shell clams. The women collect these for food, along with other fish.

“The women’s forest is our kitchen,” said Berta Sanyi, another woman from Enggros village.

That morning, another woman joined the group looking for firewood, hauling dry logs onto her boat. And three other women joined on a rowboat.

Women from the next village, Tobati, also have a women’s forest nearby. The two Indigenous villages are only 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) apart, and they’re culturally similar, with Enggros growing out of Tobati’s population decades ago. In the safety of the forest, women of both villages talk about issues at home with one another and share grievances away from the ears of the rest of the village.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a series of on how tribes and Indigenous communities are coping with and combating climate change.

Alfred Drunyi, the leader of Drunyi tribe in Enggros, said that having dedicated spaces for women and men is a big part of the village’s culture. There are tribal fines if a man trespasses and enters the forest, and the amount is based on how guilty the community judges the person to be.

“They should pay it with our main treasure, the traditional beads, maybe with some money. But the fines should be given to the women,” Drunyi said.

But Sanyi, 65, who’s been working in the forest since she was just 17, notes that threats to the space come from elsewhere.

Development on the bay has turned acres of forest into large roads, including a 700-meter (2,300-foot) bridge into Jayapura that passes through Enggros’ pier. Jayapura’s population has exploded in recent decades, and around 400,000 people live in the city — the largest on the island.

In turn, the forest has shrunk. Nearly six decades ago, the mangrove forest in Youtefa Bay was about 514 hectares (1,270 acres). Estimates say it’s now less than half that.

“I am so sad when I see the current situation of the forest,” Sanyi said, “because this is where we live.” She said many residents, including her own children, are turning to work in Jayapura instead of maintaining traditions.

Pollution puts traditions and health at risk

Youtefa Bay, where the sea’s brackish water and five rivers in Papua meet, serves as the gathering bowl for the waste that runs through the rivers as they cross through Jayapura.

Plastic bottles, tarpaulin sheets and pieces of wood are seen stuck between the mangrove roots. The water around the mangrove forest is polluted and dark.

After dozens of years being able to feel the clams on the bay with her feet, Sanyi said she now often has to feel through trash first. And once she removes the trash and gets to the muddy ground where the clams live, there are many fewer than there used to be.

Paula Hamadi, 53, said that she never saw the mangrove forest as bad as it is now. For years, she’s been going to the forest almost every day during the low tide in the morning to search for clams.

“It used to be different,” Hamadi said. “From 8.00 a.m. to 8:30 in the morning, I could get one can. But now, I only get trash.”

The women used to be able to gather enough clams to sell some at the nearest village, but now their small hauls are reserved for eating with their families.

A study in 2020 found that high concentrations of lead from waste from homes and businesses were found at several points in the bay. Lead can be toxic to humans and aquatic organisms, and the study suggests its contaminated several species that are often consumed by the people of Youtefa Bay.

Other studies also showed that populations of shellfish and crab in the bay were declining, said John Dominggus Kalor, a lecturer on fisheries and marine sciences at Cenderawasih University.

“The threats related to heavy metal contamination, microplastics, and public health are high,” Kalor said. “In the future, it will have an impact on health.”

Some are trying to save the land

Some of the mangrove areas have been destroyed for development, leading to degradation throughout the forest.

Mangroves can absorb the shocks of extreme weather events, like tsunamis, and provide ecosystems with the needed environment to thrive. They also serve social and cultural functions for the women, whose work is mostly done between the mangroves.

“In the future people will say that there used to be a women’s forest here” that disappeared because of development and pollution, said Kalor.

Various efforts to preserve it have been made, including the residents of Enggros village themselves. Merauje and other women from Enggros are trying to start mangrove tree nurseries and, where possible, plant new mangrove trees in the forest area.

“We plant new trees, replace the dead ones, and we also clean up the trash around Youtefa Bay,” Merauje said. “I do that with my friends to conserve, to maintain this forest.”

Beyond efforts to reforest it, Kalor said there also needs to be guarantees that more of the forest won’t be flattened for development in the future.

There is no regional regulation to protect Youtefa Bay and specifically the women’s forests, but Kalor thinks it would help prevent deforestation in the future.

“That should no longer be done in our bay,” he said.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Possible reenactment of transmigration program triggers West Papua-wide protests – Police crackdown on protesters in Jayapura and Nabire

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Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 6 December 2024 

On 15 November 2024, thousands of Papuans went to the streets after the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) called for peaceful Papua-wide demonstrations against the central Government’s plan to relaunch the transmigration program, with West Papua being one of the target areas. Indigenous Papuans are concerned that the influx of population from more developed areas will inevitably contribute to the marginalisation of Papuans, exacerbate land grabbing and exploitation of natural resources instead of bringing benefits for indigenous communities. Many fear a loss of their culture and growing economic competition concerning labour possibilities and entrepreneurship. Besides concerns on transmigration, the protests addressed the conversion of 2 million hectares of customary land for rice field production in the Merauke Regency, Papua Selatan Province since August 2024, as part of the central government’s Strategic National Projects (PSN) on food security.

The ‘Transmigrasi’ Program envisaged the population transfer from overpopulated Indonesian islands like Java to remote rural areas on a large scale, mainly to West Papua and Kalimantan. It was initiated under Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and later retained under military dictator Suharto. During the Reformation, the program was restructured and downsized.

One day after President Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration on 20 October 2024, the minister for Transmigration, Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, announced plans to continue transmigration programs in eastern Indonesia, particularly West Papua, to improve the national unity and welfare of the local population. This together with several follow-up statements triggered a public debate in West Papua.

Following the statements, the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) called for peaceful demonstrations for the rejection of Jakarta’s transmigration plans across West Papua. Larger protests were held in Jayapura, Nabire, Sorong, Dekai (Yahukimo Regency), and Yalimo, but also in some Indonesian cities outside of West Papua, such as Manado. Police officers in the towns of Jayapura and Nabire reportedly cracked down on protesters using water cannons, tear gas, wooden sticks, and rubber ammunition. According to reports received, 14 protesters were arbitrarily detained, while at least 16 protesters were injured as a result of police violence.

 Jayapura City and Jayapura Regency

Police officers reportedly prevented KNPB activists in the town of Sentani, Jayapura Regency, from distributing leaflets for the demonstration on 13 and 14 November 2024. On 15 November 2024, joint security forces took position at all major roads in Sentani at 5:00 am, checking public transport and private vehicles to prevent protesters from going to meeting pints in Jayapura City. The protesters in Jayapura City gathered in various locations. In Expo Waena and the Abepura Roundabout, protesters were forcibly dispersed by the authorities using water cannons, tear gas, wooden sticks, and rubber ammunition around 8:30 am. At least eleven protesters were injured during the crackdown (see table below, source: independent HRDs). The police stopped the peaceful assembly without obvious reason as the KNPB had registered the protest with the police following Indonesian law. Several police officers were wounded as protesters responded throwing stones at the police.

 

Police officers disperse protesters in Jayapura, 15 Nov’24

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Nabire Town

The Papuan People’s Front Against Transmigration (FRPAT) officially registered the protest on 12 November, as required under national law. In the early morning of 15 November 2024, protesters gathered peacefully in the Jepara 1 area. AT 8:00 am, police officers dispersed the crowd teargas and water cannons. Some officers also released gunshots. At least four protesters were injured during the crackdown and 14 protesters were arbitrarily detained at the Nabire District Police Station. The police forced them to sign statements to refrain from joining future political protests or other activities. Residents in of Jappara 1 complained that police forces also fired teargas grenades at residential houses (see video below). 

Police officers disperse protesters in Nabire, 15 Nov’24

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Demonstrations in other locations

Protests in the Sorong, Dekai, Yalimo, Manado (Sulawesi Utara Province) and Makassar (Sulawesi Selatan Province) were closely monitored by police personnel but were allowed to proceed. All protests remained peaceful. People displayed banners and held peaceful orations, calling upon Jakarta to abandon the plans of reenacting the transmigration program to West Papua and immediately hold the conversion of customary land to agricultural areas for rice production in Merauke.

 

Table: Victims of police violence during crackdown on demonstration against transmigration, 15 November 2024……………..