An Indonesian indigenous tribe living in Papua province is at risk of losing a large portion of its ancestral forest after an appeal against a palm oil production project was rejected, NGOs said on Friday.
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The Awyu tribe, whose approximately 20,000 members rely on the country’s resources, had taken measures to freeze the operations of PT Indo Asiana Lestari (PT IAL) in Indonesia’s West Papua province.
But on Thursday, a court in this region upheld the validity of the company’s concession permit, which allows the clearing of more than 39,000 hectares of forest.
“This decision is bad news for the Awyu indigenous people who are fighting to defend their ancestral lands,” the Coalition to Protect Papuan Native Forests, which brings together 10 environmental NGOs, said in a statement on Thursday.
When contacted by AFP, the general director of the company PT IAL did not comment.
According to this environmental coalition, the maps provided by PT IAL do not recognize the sectors occupied by local clans and the environmental impact assessments do not refer to indigenous communities.
Palm oil is a multi-billion dollar industry in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer and exporter of the commodity, which is used in everything from spreads to chocolate to cosmetics.
But palm oil cultivation has been accused by environmentalists of fueling deforestation of tropical forests in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together produce 85% of the world’s palm oil.
“I am extremely sad and disappointed because our legal battle appears to have been in vain. But I will never give in,” said Hendrikus Woro, an environmental activist from the tribe who initiated the call, in a press release.
His lawyer said he would appeal the decision.
According to the NGO coalition, opponents of the PT IAL company’s project suffered “intimidation”.
Last April, the European Parliament passed a law aimed at banning the import of various agricultural products if they contribute to deforestation and run counter to the goals of combating climate change.