jakarta, Indonesia — Bentala Rakyat, an organization advocating for Indigenous Papuans, says palm oil ⁣expansion in‍ West Papua is⁤ causing “ecocide,” as corporations profit from environmental‍ damage and human‍ rights abuses. Tigor Hutapea, a spokesperson for the group, said large-scale deforestation destroys⁢ ancestral lands and⁤ livelihoods, posing an existential threat to Indigenous cultures.

Permits Issued Without Consent

According to Bentala Rakyat, by 2019, the‍ Indonesian government had issued permits to 58 major companies for⁤ palm ⁢oil plantations covering 1.57 ‍million hectares of Indigenous forest land. Hutapea said these permits were granted without the free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities, violating West Papua’s special autonomy laws.

The environmental⁢ damage is already devastating,even though⁤ only 15% of the permitted area has been developed,the organization reports. Palm oil plantations have altered water systems, causing rivers to overflow during rainy seasons.Indigenous⁢ communities have lost access to forests that provide⁣ food, medicine, and cultural sustenance, while monoculture crops have replaced ⁣biodiverse ecosystems, leading to the disappearance of endemic animal species.

Collusion Allegations

Bentala rakyat alleges collusion between‍ government officials and palm oil⁣ companies. In 2023, the organization supported the ⁢Awyu Indigenous people in a⁤ legal case against a Malaysian-owned company. The court found the government had issued permits without community consent,violating West⁤ Papua’s⁣ special autonomy laws.

Hutapea said these actions contravene‍ national regulations and international law, ⁢including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. despite legal violations, authorities continue to defend these projects, citing tax revenue and economic growth, prioritizing corporate profits over Indigenous rights and environmental⁢ protection.

Crackdown on Protests

Bentala ⁣Rakyat reports a systematic pattern of human rights violations against those ⁣defending ⁢their lands.⁣ Communities protesting developments face arbitrary arrests, police intimidation, and violence. Demonstrations are forcibly dispersed,⁣ and community leaders are threatened with imprisonment or ⁣falsely accused of disrupting development. Some‍ are⁤ labeled as separatists⁤ to delegitimize their activism.

Civil Society Tactics

Indigenous ⁢communities employ customary and⁢ modern resistance approaches. Manny perform customary rituals to reject plantations,⁤ imposing cultural sanctions.Together, thay engage with legal systems to challenge permit violations.

Civil ‍society organizations support these efforts through environmental impact assessments, legal advocacy, and public‍ awareness campaigns. A change.org petition gathered over 258,000 signatures,while the #AllEyesOnPapua social media campaign went viral,demonstrating growing international concern.

International Action Needed

Bentala ‍Rakyat calls for international consumer pressure to enforce laws preventing the import of products linked to human rights abuses and deforestation. They⁤ urge companies to divest from harmful‍ plantation projects that violate Indigenous rights.

The organization also seeks consistent international pressure on Indonesia to halt ⁢large-scale⁢ agribusiness expansion ⁣in west Papua and uphold Indigenous ⁤rights. Foreign governments must prioritize‍ human rights ‍and environmental protection⁢ in their engagement with Indonesia.

Without concerted international ⁤action, West Papua’s forests and Indigenous communities face an existential threat, Hutapea ⁣said.⁤ The destruction of this biodiverse region affects everyone.