Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Green activists on Tuesday (29/12) called for the government to be serious to solve conflicts related to natural resources, including to stop criminalizing environment defenders.
Bejoe Dewangga, director of Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) chapter Lampung, said that conflicts related to natural resources were linked to forest management gap in giving permits for people and corporate.
“Permits given for people to manage forests were only 47,000 hectares meanwhile corporations were granted 154,434 hectares for mining, geothermal and oil palm plantation,” said Dewangga adding that there 149 cases recorded in 2014 which related to natural resources.
M. Islah, head of Education Unit of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment or Walhi, said corporate was ranked highest as environmental aggressor and polluter with 82.5 percent in 2013. In addition, criminalization towards green activists have been increasing up to 80 percent.
Islah said green activists set up recommendations to collect government’s promise to handle conflicts, demand to free and stop criminalizing against activists and human rights defenders in Indonesia, also reviewing permits and policies on natural resources. Eni Muslihah