SPECIAL AUTONOMY IN WEST PAPUA: SOLUTION OR SOURCE OF PROBLEMS? (5)

Ecocide in West Papua

In West Papua, all forms of logging, whether certified or not, lead to the destruction of forests, erosion and the vulnerability of ecosystems to the risk of fire.

According to Greenpeace, since 2000, the area of land released from forest areas for plantations in Papua Province has reached nearly one million hectares (951,771 ha) - more than one and a half times the size of the island of Bali. 

Greenpeace analysis shows that across Papua Province 685,388 ha of forest remains within concessions released from forest areas since 2000. Of this total remaining forest, 447,073 ha is classified as primary forest on the 2019 Ministry of Environment and Forestry land cover map. The concession also includes 108,032 ha (mostly forest) of peatland, which is also largely undeveloped.

Previously, the Indonesian government stated that it has implemented Forest Moratorium and Palm Oil Moratorium as protection of forests and peatlands. The first has been in place for nine years while the second has been in place for two and a half years. Yet it has failed to achieve systemic change in reforming the plantation and forest industry.

University of Sydney researcher Sophie Cho says that what is happening in Papua is a form of food colonization. Indigenous Papuans have forest-dependent eating habits, and these traditions are an expression of their identity and culture. However, these eating habits are often labeled by Indonesian society as backward in terms of both culture and nutrition. Furthermore, through Indonesia's national food security agenda, Papuans have lost the right to access their own food sources. 

The Inggun marsh, located in the Animha district of Merauke, is one of the largest marshes in the region. It is a source of food for the Marind people. Snapper and spiny fish are found here. Unfortunately, this marsh is becoming increasingly dry. The surrounding forest is the target of industrial timber plantation projects.

Deforestation in West Papua is out of control: in Pusaka Bentala Rakyat's report entitled "Indigenous Forests are Misguided (unproductive)", it is stated that during the 6 months from January-June 2022, five companies have carried out massive and planned deforestation in Papua:

1) PT Inti Kebun Sawit, Sorong 

2) PT Inti Kebun Sejahtera, Sorong; 

3) PT Subur Karunia Raya, Teluk Bintuni; 

4) PT Permata Nusa Mandiri, Jayapura; 

5) PT Selaras Inti Semesta, Merauke .

The study found that these five companies removed 1,150 hectares of natural forest. (2022) Despite these alarming facts, the Indonesian government, from central to local levels, continue to grant easy licenses to investors without providing clear restrictions.

Ambrosius Mulait, General Secretary of the Papuan Student Association AMPTPI, warned, "With these figures, we can imagine by simple calculation that in just twelve months, 2,300 hectares of forest in Papua have been cleared. Are these companies more valuable than Papua's natural forests? and the indigenous Papuans who maintain a good living environment as the earth's last bastion against global warming?"

According to Ambrosius, it is crucial for the Indonesian government to evaluate licensing and law enforcement, sanctioning companies that violate provisions, including state officials involved in state financial and environmental crimes. The Indonesian government must also stop the criminalization of activists involved in peaceful protests. In return, it should initiate a peaceful dialog with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). The latter is a representative body of the Papuan people, recognized at regional level in the Pacific and increasingly accepted at international level.

Deforestation is just one aspect of the ongoing ecocide in Papua. There is also a lot of environmental pollution caused by mining exploitation, especially in Grasberg, Timika. This area has the third largest gold and copper reserves in the world. Analysis by INTERPRT research agency in 2016 showed that 13,800 hectares of forest were lost there. Severe environmental damage has occurred along the Ajkwa River due to mining waste. For decades, the pollution caused by the American multinational mining venture Freeport has led to the extinction of one of the largest biodiversity on the planet.

To be continued ... https://markushalukpapua.blogspot.com/2023/07/special-autonomy-in-west-papua-solution_67.html