May 19th, 2016
At the end of April 2015, Ministry of Forestry and Environment (LHK Ministry) issued: (1) letter no. 5/1/PP-LKH/K/2015 on Principal Agreement of Forest Area Concession that can be converted into oil palm plantation to PT. Mega Mustika Plantation in Sorong District, West Papua province for an area of 9.168 hectares; and (2) letter No. 6/1/PP-LKH/K/2015 on Principal Agreement of Forest Area Concession that can be converted into oil palm plantation to PT. Cipta Papua Plantation in Sorong district, West Papua for an area of 15.310 hectares.
Both letter has just informed and noticed to Moi indigenous community who reside in the designated area on Monday, April 25, 2016, through meeting invitation letter from Sorong district head of forestry department to discuss about boundary layout.
Charles Tawary, Greenpeace Papua activist in Sorong, stated “eversince the government issued location permit and plantation permit, land owners from Moi clan in Klasouw District already refuse the plan from oil plam plantation. Moi community in Siwis village, Klasouw, already send their refusal letter three times, August 2012, April 2015 and last May 3, 2016. Government has ignore the voice of the community and continue to issued permit.”
In the refusal letter, community refuses because there is only limited area of indigenous land for the next generation. The community also does not want to lose their source of livelihood and culture. The community wants their forest to be protected and contribute to avoid further global warming for the greater good of mankind.
Decision to issued new permit is denounce by activists from various civil society organisations through denounce letter to Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and requested that ministry to cancel principal permit as it is seen to contradict with constitutions and other regulations, and conflicting with the mission to betterment of forest management.
Franky Samperante, activist from PUSAKA in Jakarta, one of the signatories of the denounce letter stated, “We denounce local government and Ministry of Environment and Forestry that continue to processed company’s request and issued principal permit without the consent of Moi community as land owner. The decision is inconsistent with government commitment for moratorium of new permit and reflects the poorness of Indonesia forest management, still refuse to acknowledge community rights, pro investors and continuing the destruction of natural forest.”
DENOUNCE LETTER
To Hon. Minister of Forestry and Environment
Siti Nurbaya Bakar
Dear Madam,
At the end of April 2015, Ministry of Forestry and Environment (LHK Ministry) issued: (1) letter no. 5/1/PP-LKH/K/2015 on Principal Agreement of Forest Area Concession that can be converted into oil palm plantation to PT. Mega Mustika Plantation in Sorong District, West Papua province for an area of 9.168 hectares; and (2) letter No. 6/1/PP-LKH/K/2015 on Principal Agreement of Forest Area Concession that can be converted into oil palm plantation to PT. Cipta Papua Plantation in Sorong district, West Papua for an area of 15.310 hectares.
Both letter has just informed and noticed to Moi indigenous community who reside in the designated area on Monday, April 25, 2016, through meeting invitation letter from Sorong district head of forestry department to discuss about boundary layout.
We consider the decision from LHK Ministry reflect forest management poorness in Indonesia, still orient towards natural resources extraction rather than restructuring natural resources management, pro investors, does not acknowledge even neglecting community rights to participate in development.
The decisions are contradict with constitutions and legal regulations, conflicting with the mission to betterment of forest management and national movement to save natural resources, and also denying the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emission, as written and stated in:
(1) Law no. 21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy, in regards to protection of indigenous people rights (art.43);
(2) Presidential Decree no. 8/2015 on Moratorium for new permits and betterment of primary forest and peat land management, first and third dictum;
(3) Declaration of Indonesia Natural Resources Protection, March 2015;
(4) Intended Nationally Determined Contribution Document, December 2015.
The decision is also neglecting aspiration of refusal by Moi indigenous community as the land owners that already delivered to the government on August 2012 and April 2015. Therefore, in the name of constitution and justice for Moi community and the environmental sustainability in Papua and Indonesia in general, we thus DENOUNCE the LHK Ministry letters. We strongly request that LHK Ministry to immediately cancel the principal agreement letter. We also request to Sorong District head of Forestry Department to immediately stop the ongoing process of boundary layout.
Herewith the denounce letter for further consideration and implementation.
Sincerely, the signatories
- PUSAKA, Jakarta
- JERAT Papua, Jayapura, Papua
- Perkumpulan Belantara Papua, Sorong, Papua Barat
- Perkumpulan JUBI, Jayapura, Papua
- Yayasan Paradisea, Manokwari, Papua Barat
- Greenpeace Indonesia di Papua, Sorong, Papua Barat
- Perkumpulan Huma, Jakarta
- JPIK, Bogor
- Yayasan Paradisea, Manokwari, Papua Barat
- Bentara Papua, Manokwari, Papua Barat
- Solidaritas Perempuan, Jakarta.
