Leuser, April 2009.
Mike Griffiths of the BPKEL announces that his team in Leuser has recently been successful in stopping three new oil palm plantations from being established within the conservation area of the Leuser ecosystem. He is now working on halting a further five plantations and expects to succeed in stopping these too. We should have news of this in the next few weeks. Congratulations!
Leuser, May 2009.
The BPKEL reports the closing down of a further two oil palm plantations. This has effectively put and end to illegal oil palm planting in Tamiang and the southern part of East Aceh.
Cutting down oil palm trees in the Leuser Ecosystem. These palms had been planted on an important elephant corridor. The land will now be left to regain its natural diversity.
CUTTING THE BIOFUELS - RESTORING THE NATURAL BALANCE
25 FARMERS ARRESTED IN
OIL PALM PROTEST
Jeuram, West Aceh, Aug 2010.
25 farmers and country folk have been arrested after they protested in front of the local governor’s house and burned down a palm oil processing plant. The smoke from palm oil factories is the cause of many respiratory problems. Local people were complaining of health problems of their children since the palm oil factory started operations and the loss of land for agriculture and local forests from which they derive herbal medicines and many other forest products. The planting of palm oil plantations is one of the main drivers of deforestation in Indonesia, notably in Sumatra, Papua, Kalimantan and Aceh. Farmers are acutely aware of how oil palm plantations impoverish the land as well as use land which could otherwise be better used for the production of food crops.
DON QIXOTE OF LEUSER?
Singkil, Aceh, November 2010.
A farmer in the Singkil region of the Leuser Ecosystem, armed with a parang was arrested as he tried to prevent an army-manned bulldozer from clearing land to plant oil palms. Why do events in Aceh constantly remind one of James Cameron’s “Avatar” or is it Don Qixote?
ACEH’S “GREEN” WALI
DETAINED IN JAKARTA
Meulaboh, West Aceh, November 2010
Aceh’s Environmental Wali, Abu Usman Nurul Fawzi was detained in Jakarta on his way to make the pilgrimage to Makkah. Reasons are still unclear.