Investigasi plasma sawit: 'Kami sudah sering dibohongi' - BBC News Indonesia

00:30:59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOommUrv5tM

Sintesi

TLDRIn Indonesia, palm oil expansion has led to over 120 conflicts between companies and communities due to unfulfilled 'plasma' obligations. These obligations require companies to allocate a portion of their plantations to local farmers. Investigations by the BBC, The Gecko Project, and Mongabay reveal many companies neglect these duties, causing billions in lost income for communities. While the industry group GAPKI denies conflicts from plasma, evidence shows widespread disputes. For instance, the Orang Rimba's ancestral lands were promised as plasma but were never provided, leading to protests and legal battles. Although some community members, like Rita Dihales, have won court cases against these companies, plasma related conflicts persist. Multinational corporations using palm oil from these companies have been urged to reassess their supply chains. Activists emphasize the need for stronger regulations and consumer pressure to ensure fairness and compliance.

Punti di forza

  • 🌴 Palm oil expansion has caused significant land conflicts in Indonesia.
  • 📉 Communities face financial losses due to unmet palm oil company obligations.
  • ⚖️ Legal battles emerge as a path for communities to reclaim rights.
  • 🔥 Orang Rimba protests highlight disputes over plasma agreements.
  • 🏢 Many palm oil companies fail to allocate required plasma to communities.
  • 🌏 Multinational companies involved are pressured to address these issues.
  • 🤝 Activists call for stronger enforcement of plasma agreements.
  • 📊 Data gaps hinder assessment of the full scope of plasma issues.
  • 🛑 Presidential moratoriums on new permits have been ineffective.
  • 🔍 Public awareness and pressure are crucial for resolving conflicts.

Linea temporale

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    Over the past decade, at least 120 conflicts have arisen between palm oil companies and communities across Indonesia, primarily due to issues related to 'plasma'. Despite industry claims of no conflicts, investigations reveal that communities are losing billions annually due to companies not fulfilling their plasma obligations. Initially, companies were required to allocate 80% of plantations to 'plasma', later reduced to 20%. This has led to inadequate and unfair distribution of land and resources, sparking protests and legal actions.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    The Suku Anak Dalam tribe protested against a palm oil company for not returning their land, leading to raids and arrests. Investigations show a widespread failure to provide legally required plasma, with government inaction cited as a major issue. Communities gave up large land areas with no returns, prompting tensions with companies accused of greed and exploitation. The global palm oil industry involves significant profits, partly from lands intended for plasma but appropriated by corporations.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The Orang Rimba's ancestral lands were taken without proper plasma provision, sparking protests and mediations. Despite agreements, promised plasma lands were not returned, leading to further disputes. The financial burden of plantation development on the community was highlighted as a tactic to create debt. High-level ownership complicates accountability, as seen with London Sumatra and its wealthy owners. Calls for unencumbered land returns or fulfilled plasma obligations remain unmet amidst incomplete national data assessments.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    Communities in provinces like Central Kalimantan face significant financial losses annually due to unmet plasma obligations, amid ongoing conflicts with arrests and criminalization commonplace. Many land conflicts relate to the unmet provision of plasma, with lack of transparency and profit-sharing contributing to tensions. Some companies involved law enforcement to suppress community actions, further exacerbating the situation. Community dependence on plasma for livelihood underscores the critical nature of the conflict.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:25:00

    Investigations highlight numerous unfulfilled plasma contracts, illustrated by cases where communities, like in West Kalimantan, sought legal recourse. Highlighting the complexity of plasma agreements, many farmers find themselves in debt instead of receiving promised benefits. Successful legal victories, like that of Rita Dihales against a company, exemplify the potential for resolving these injustices. Meanwhile, many communities remain burdened by debt and unkept promises, indicating ongoing systemic inadequacies and legal recourse as a valuable tool.

  • 00:25:00 - 00:30:59

    Plasma conflicts continue to persist despite government moratoriums intended to curb issues, revealing failures in policy implementation and data management. Advocacy has pushed for greater transparency and accountability from companies, but government enforcement remains lax. Consumer pressure may influence change, but robust monitoring and strict adherence to ethical standards are necessary. The issue remains critical, as plasma was intended to alleviate poverty but has been leveraged for land acquisition by companies, demanding serious governmental intervention.

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Mappa mentale

Video Domande e Risposte

  • What triggered the destruction of a palm oil company's office by the Suku Anak Dalam?

    The Suku Anak Dalam destroyed the office of a palm oil company due to unmet promises regarding land and plasma provision.

  • What is the 'plasma' scheme in Indonesia's palm oil industry?

    The 'plasma' scheme requires palm oil companies to allocate a portion of their plantation land to local farmers.

  • What is GAPKI's stance on plasma-related conflicts?

    GAPKI, a palm oil industry group, claims there are no conflicts driven by plasma.

  • Why are Indonesian communities unhappy with palm oil companies?

    Indonesian communities are unhappy because palm oil companies often fail to provide plasma as per legal requirements, affecting their livelihoods.

  • What were the Orang Rimba's grievances against PT London Sumatra?

    The Orang Rimba accused PT London Sumatra of failing to provide promised plasma after taking their ancestral land.

  • How have palm oil companies affected the Orang Rimba community?

    The Orang Rimba have lost their ancestral land to palm oil companies and face poverty due to unmet promises of plasma.

  • What action did the Orang Rimba take in 2017?

    In 2017, the Orang Rimba protested by burning a palm oil company post to demand their rights and land.

  • What was the outcome of Rita Dihales' legal battle against PT Palmdale?

    Rita Dihales won a legal battle against PT Palmdale, which had reneged on its plasma profit-sharing promise.

  • How do multinational companies play a role in this issue?

    Multinational companies, unknowingly using problematic palm oil, have begun grievances processes to address plasma issues.

  • What do activists believe is needed to resolve these conflicts?

    Activists call for public and market pressure to ensure companies adhere to plasma agreements and laws.

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Scorrimento automatico:
  • 00:00:03
    At least 120 conflicts have emerged between palm oil companies and communities
  • 00:00:06
    across 17 provinces in Indonesia in the last ten years.
  • 00:00:12
    They are all related to ‘plasma’.
  • 00:00:17
    But according to palm oil industry group GAPKI,
  • 00:00:21
    there are no conflicts driven by plasma.
  • 00:00:25
    It seems to me, and according to reports from (GAPKI) members,
  • 00:00:29
    they have no problems with plasma.
  • 00:00:34
    A two-year investigation by the
  • 00:00:37
    BBC, The Gecko Project and Mongabay
  • 00:00:40
    found that thousands of Indonesian families
  • 00:00:42
    could be losing billions of rupiah every year,
  • 00:00:45
    because palm oil companies are failing to provide plasma
  • 00:00:47
    in accordance with the law.
  • 00:00:50
    You could say that the oligarchs are getting stronger.
  • 00:01:04
    Extreme capitalism is getting stronger.
  • 00:01:10
    When the palm oil industry began to rapidly grow in the 1980s,
  • 00:01:14
    companies taking part in government plantation schemes were encouraged
  • 00:01:18
    to provide up to 80 percent of their plantation for farmers as ‘plasma’.
  • 00:01:25
    Over the next 25 years, the situation gradually changed.
  • 00:01:29
    By 2007, a new rule required all palm companies
  • 00:01:34
    to provide a much smaller area as plasma:
  • 00:01:37
    only 20 percent of their total plantation.
  • 00:01:43
    In the beginning, communities were promised good things.
  • 00:01:46
    For example, they would be given plasma, land they could cultivate.
  • 00:01:55
    The people gave up their land, which was in the best areas.
  • 00:02:03
    But the land they got back was in a different location.
  • 00:02:08
    And plasma is not developed fairly.
  • 00:02:13
    It’s not strategically located,
  • 00:02:18
    and they are not supported fully by the companies,
  • 00:02:21
    so that communities can develop the plasma well.
  • 00:02:36
    January 2017.
  • 00:02:38
    The Suku Anak Dalam or Orang Rimba from Tebing Tinggi village,
  • 00:02:41
    burned a palm oil company’s office and vandalised their property.
  • 00:02:46
    We protested. We gathered and came to PT Lonsum.
  • 00:02:55
    We burned the [security post of] Lonsum.
  • 00:02:59
    We wanted to demand our rights.
  • 00:03:02
    We demanded our land.
  • 00:03:04
    We wanted it back, our land was taken by Lonsum.
  • 00:03:10
    The following night, the police arrived,
  • 00:03:13
    raiding the homes of people they thought were involved in the protest.
  • 00:03:19
    Around 45 people were arrested, including Lina.
  • 00:03:23
    After the Maghrib Prayer, we were here in our room.
  • 00:03:27
    The door was smashed. Police came into our house,
  • 00:03:32
    a lot of them. Seven officers came into the room.
  • 00:03:36
    There were five of us in the room, and they took us.
  • 00:03:42
    They arrested us right away.
  • 00:03:48
    The community accused PT London Sumatra, the company,
  • 00:03:51
    of not delivering on a promise to provide plasma.
  • 00:03:56
    After we gave up 2,500 hectares of land to the company,
  • 00:04:04
    nothing was returned to us. They took everything.
  • 00:04:11
    The promise was a lie.
  • 00:04:15
    Our investigation found the same frustrations felt by
  • 00:04:18
    Orang Rimba were experienced by other communities.
  • 00:04:22
    Using data from the Ministry of Agriculture,
  • 00:04:26
    the BBC, The Gecko Project and Mongabay
  • 00:04:29
    estimated that private palm companies have failed to provide
  • 00:04:32
    hundreds of thousands of hectares of plasma since 2007,
  • 00:04:36
    when it became a legal obligation.
  • 00:04:39
    First, there is no firmness from the government.
  • 00:04:43
    If the government was firm,
  • 00:04:44
    of course the companies would follow.
  • 00:04:47
    Second, at the end of the day, these big companies...
  • 00:04:50
    They are greedy. That’s why we need to regulate with the law.
  • 00:04:54
    The global palm oil industry is worth $65 billion each year.
  • 00:05:03
    Some of the profits come from palm trees
  • 00:05:05
    on land that should have gone to communities as plasma,
  • 00:05:09
    but instead has gone to corporations.
  • 00:05:14
    One oil palm company brought promises
  • 00:05:16
    of prosperity to the Suku Anak Dalam.
  • 00:05:21
    But more than two decades later,
  • 00:05:23
    this is what they get.
  • 00:05:30
    What are you searching for here?
  • 00:05:32
    Sometimes we gather five kilos,
  • 00:05:35
    ten kilos, of palm fruitlets.
  • 00:05:38
    Now, in one day we only get a handful.
  • 00:05:42
    We sell them each day to feed our children.
  • 00:05:46
    In 1995, London Sumatra approached
  • 00:05:50
    the elders in the Orang Rimba village.
  • 00:05:52
    In a scheme now called ‘plasma’,
  • 00:05:55
    they would take 2,500 hectares of their ancestral land,
  • 00:05:58
    and in return, the Orang Rimba
  • 00:06:01
    would get 1,400 hectares back planted with palm trees.
  • 00:06:07
    PT Lonsum said they’re ready
  • 00:06:10
    to uphold the rights of the people,
  • 00:06:14
    and then we would become partners.
  • 00:06:19
    Now, London Sumatra’s oil palm plantation
  • 00:06:22
    spreads across thousands of hectares,
  • 00:06:24
    with tall trees which produce ‘golden fruits’.
  • 00:06:26
    That’s what they call oil palm fruit,
  • 00:06:28
    because of the high prices it attracts.
  • 00:06:32
    But the Orang Rimba lost all of their land.
  • 00:06:37
    I used to live around here, on the land here.
  • 00:06:43
    If I wanted to go to the river, it was just there.
  • 00:06:48
    This was where we lived, back when I was still a child.
  • 00:06:54
    For the last three generations,
  • 00:06:56
    the Orang Rimba have lived on other people’s land,
  • 00:06:59
    dozens of kilometres away from where Mat Yadi used to live.
  • 00:07:03
    We left this place,
  • 00:07:06
    because we were cast out by the company.
  • 00:07:10
    We have to live like this,
  • 00:07:13
    constantly on the move like this.
  • 00:07:16
    The Orang Rimba have protested since 2001,
  • 00:07:20
    to demand the land promised as plasma.
  • 00:07:25
    The peak was in 2017.
  • 00:07:28
    There was a huge protest, they burned the posts behind us here.
  • 00:07:36
    There was an office, set alight by the families of Suku Anak Dalam.
  • 00:07:41
    Maybe because their emotions were running high.
  • 00:07:44
    In 2013, the conflict between Orang Rimba
  • 00:07:46
    and London Sumatra was mediated by legislators
  • 00:07:48
    from the district parliament in Musi Rawas.
  • 00:07:50
    Two years later, the company agreed to provide the plasma land.
  • 00:07:54
    But the promise was not fulfilled.
  • 00:07:58
    Then in 2017,
  • 00:08:00
    the national parliament gave an ultimatum:
  • 00:08:03
    give back the Orang Rimba’s ancestral land,
  • 00:08:05
    or provide them with plasma.
  • 00:08:08
    We were firm, we were tough,
  • 00:08:10
    but until now it hasn’t been done.
  • 00:08:13
    They gave up 2,500 hectares, then the dispute was over 1,400 hectares.
  • 00:08:18
    Now they’re being offered 400,
  • 00:08:20
    but even that’s not done.
  • 00:08:25
    This heavy equipment will be used to clear the land
  • 00:08:29
    as part of the first phase of 401 hectares.
  • 00:08:33
    But the cost of developing the plantation and acquiring the land,
  • 00:08:38
    could be borne by the Orang Rimba.
  • 00:08:40
    It will become their debt.
  • 00:08:43
    PT PP London Sumatra Tbk is a subsidiary of Indofood Agri Resources,
  • 00:08:48
    owned by the Salim family,
  • 00:08:50
    one of the wealthiest in Indonesia.
  • 00:08:54
    The BBC, The Gecko Project and Mongabay
  • 00:08:57
    contacted representatives of
  • 00:08:58
    Lonsum and Indofood Agri Resources for an interview,
  • 00:09:01
    but both companies denied our request.
  • 00:09:12
    What we asked for was,
  • 00:09:14
    first, give the land back to the Suku Anak Dalam,
  • 00:09:20
    without any conditions.
  • 00:09:23
    The second best path is providing 20% plasma.
  • 00:09:28
    But without being burdened with all kinds of costs.
  • 00:09:30
    Otherwise it could be a lifetime,
  • 00:09:31
    maybe two or three generations before they can pay it off.
  • 00:09:35
    The absence of complete and comprehensive data
  • 00:09:38
    makes it impossible to accurately assess problems
  • 00:09:41
    on a national scale.
  • 00:09:45
    But in Central Kalimantan province alone,
  • 00:09:47
    government data indicates the plasma shortfall
  • 00:09:51
    reaches 100,000 hectares - three times the area of Surabaya.
  • 00:09:56
    Central Kalimantan accounts for just one-fifth
  • 00:10:00
    of Indonesia’s corporate-run oil palm plantations.
  • 00:10:04
    We estimate that communities in Central Kalimantan
  • 00:10:07
    are losing more than $90 million,
  • 00:10:10
    or 1.2 trillion rupiah, every year,
  • 00:10:13
    because palm oil companies aren’t meeting
  • 00:10:15
    their legal obligations to provide plasma.
  • 00:10:18
    Meanwhile, our analysis of data from the Ministry of Agriculture,
  • 00:10:22
    which was shared with us in 2021
  • 00:10:25
    and criticised as incomplete by the National Audit Agency,
  • 00:10:28
    indicates the national shortfall
  • 00:10:31
    could be many times larger.
  • 00:10:38
    Meanwhile on the ground, conflicts continue to erupt.
  • 00:10:41
    Another study released in 2021 found that out of 150 land conflicts
  • 00:10:46
    between communities and oil palm companies
  • 00:10:49
    across four major palm oil producing provinces,
  • 00:10:51
    57 percent related to plasma.
  • 00:10:55
    Community members were arrested in 42 percent of these conflicts,
  • 00:10:58
    with 789 people arrested in total.
  • 00:11:04
    Like what happened in Buol Regency, for example,
  • 00:11:09
    because the company involved the police and army,
  • 00:11:17
    the people were criminalised.
  • 00:11:20
    The people give up their land,
  • 00:11:22
    but only get a small plantation in return.
  • 00:11:27
    And they get nothing from it.
  • 00:11:30
    So how can the people not be angry?
  • 00:11:34
    It’s lucky if the people do not get mad.
  • 00:11:36
    If the farmers still have a lot of other land
  • 00:11:40
    or a source of income, it’s not a problem.
  • 00:11:44
    The problem is, they have nothing else.
  • 00:11:47
    And for many of them,
  • 00:11:49
    plasma is their only hope to earn a living.
  • 00:11:58
    Protests were not only carried out
  • 00:12:00
    by communities that didn’t get plasma.
  • 00:12:03
    Our research revealed that since 2010,
  • 00:12:06
    62 palm companies have been accused of
  • 00:12:08
    sharing limited profits from plasma with communities
  • 00:12:11
    and not being transparent about why.
  • 00:12:15
    One of the reasons being that it’s confidential.
  • 00:12:25
    From South Sumatra, I travelled to West Kalimantan.
  • 00:12:28
    Here, a palm company is said to have broken
  • 00:12:31
    their promise to share the profits from plasma with farmers.
  • 00:12:38
    Some of the farmers there ended up in prison
  • 00:12:42
    after they protested.
  • 00:12:43
    But then some of them sued the company
  • 00:12:48
    to get back their land.
  • 00:12:50
    One of them is Rita Dihales.
  • 00:12:53
    Let’s meet him.
  • 00:13:20
    We put the banner here,
  • 00:13:21
    at the border of the land we gave up in 2009.
  • 00:13:30
    In 2009, PT Palmdale Agroasia Lestari Makmur
  • 00:13:34
    held discussions about a plasma partnership.
  • 00:13:39
    The company said there will be jobs and economic growth.
  • 00:13:50
    The BBC also contacted the company via phone
  • 00:13:54
    and in writing to request their comments,
  • 00:13:57
    but we received no response.
  • 00:14:01
    The plasma scheme in Teluk Bakung
  • 00:14:04
    used a model known as One Roof.
  • 00:14:06
    In this model,
  • 00:14:07
    the plantation is managed entirely by the company.
  • 00:14:11
    Land owners will receive a share
  • 00:14:13
    when the plantation is profitable,
  • 00:14:16
    on average from five to ten years
  • 00:14:19
    after planting begins.
  • 00:14:23
    There was nothing,
  • 00:14:25
    not even a single rupiah.
  • 00:14:31
    Because they breached the agreement.
  • 00:14:35
    They said there’s a bailout (advance),
  • 00:14:38
    but I cannot take it
  • 00:14:40
    because we were in a legal battle with them.
  • 00:14:43
    And the bailouts would just become more debt to us.
  • 00:14:52
    From cleaning the land, planting, plant care,
  • 00:14:58
    they will add to our debt.
  • 00:15:01
    If we took the bailout, more debt.
  • 00:15:02
    When will it be over,
  • 00:15:04
    we already have hundreds of millions (of rupiah) of debt.
  • 00:15:10
    After 2014.
  • 00:15:12
    That’s when we felt that we were nothing anymore.
  • 00:15:19
    That’s when we came to believe the company
  • 00:15:23
    was not going to deliver what it had said.
  • 00:15:29
    In 2017, Rita Dihales single-handedly
  • 00:15:32
    stopped a truck full of crops,
  • 00:15:34
    belonging to Palmdale.
  • 00:15:38
    For that, Rita was imprisoned for six months
  • 00:15:41
    on charges of confiscation and misconduct.
  • 00:15:45
    Life is hard.
  • 00:15:49
    I thought, all this time we are relying
  • 00:15:51
    on the government of Kubu Raya,
  • 00:15:54
    but it turned out we couldn’t depend on them.
  • 00:15:58
    From behind bars,
  • 00:16:00
    Rita hit on the idea to sue Palmdale,
  • 00:16:02
    with four other farmers.
  • 00:16:06
    At the time,
  • 00:16:07
    our friends wanted us to join and we agreed.
  • 00:16:12
    We would try to sue the company.
  • 00:16:14
    Because they have breached the agreement.
  • 00:16:17
    They lied to us.
  • 00:16:22
    In August 2021,
  • 00:16:24
    the Supreme Court decided the case
  • 00:16:25
    in favour of the farmers,
  • 00:16:27
    holding that PT Palmdale had reneged on
  • 00:16:29
    its promise to share the profits from plasma.
  • 00:16:32
    Oh, you can say that I was very happy,
  • 00:16:35
    because I will not pass on my
  • 00:16:37
    problems with the company.
  • 00:16:38
    It stopped with me,
  • 00:16:41
    I gave the land to them and I got it back.
  • 00:16:44
    So, my children and grandchildren
  • 00:16:47
    will not inherit the same trouble
  • 00:16:49
    that I have gone through.
  • 00:16:51
    What is your plan with the land?
  • 00:16:56
    After the decision is implemented,
  • 00:16:58
    we will use the land for our livelihood.
  • 00:17:01
    We will use it to live.
  • 00:17:05
    But in Teluk Bakung village,
  • 00:17:06
    there are still more than 900 farmers
  • 00:17:09
    locked into plasma contracts with Palmdale.
  • 00:17:12
    One of them is Laurensius Asia.
  • 00:17:16
    They offered us a partnership scheme.
  • 00:17:20
    For all the land we gave them,
  • 00:17:22
    we’d get 30% back as plasma.
  • 00:17:26
    With that 30%,
  • 00:17:29
    the cost for establishing the plantation
  • 00:17:31
    will fall on us.
  • 00:17:34
    Including for infrastructure and other costs.
  • 00:17:37
    That became our debt.
  • 00:17:39
    We’ll make repayment from the yields,
  • 00:17:41
    once the plantation is productive.
  • 00:17:45
    Financial data we obtained
  • 00:17:47
    from the Teluk Bakung cooperative
  • 00:17:49
    showed that by 2019 the debt
  • 00:17:53
    had reached 262 billion rupiahs [$18 million],
  • 00:17:57
    or almost 93 million rupiah per hectare.
  • 00:17:59
    All of which have to be paid by the farmers.
  • 00:18:03
    Frustrated, they held another protest in 2019.
  • 00:18:11
    As a plasma farmer, I have to fight for my rights.
  • 00:18:16
    But in this context,
  • 00:18:20
    we didn’t know what we were allowed to do,
  • 00:18:24
    and it turned out what we did was a crime.
  • 00:18:33
    We locked the doors.
  • 00:18:37
    We forced (the company) to stop any activities,
  • 00:18:41
    and so I was put in jail for ten months.
  • 00:18:44
    We only wanted fairness from the government.
  • 00:18:49
    We live in Indonesia,
  • 00:18:51
    the government should be protecting us.
  • 00:18:55
    But the government commonly takes the approach
  • 00:18:58
    of mediation to resolve such conflicts.
  • 00:19:04
    As small people,
  • 00:19:07
    we also wanted to do what Mr. Rita did,
  • 00:19:11
    but are we capable?
  • 00:19:14
    So, as small people, if the local government
  • 00:19:19
    does not help us in demanding our rights,
  • 00:19:25
    we feel that it will never happen.
  • 00:19:29
    Well, we can’t meddle because the partnership
  • 00:19:32
    is between the communities and the company.
  • 00:19:34
    If the government takes legal action,
  • 00:19:36
    or provides access to legal action…
  • 00:19:38
    we have to be in the middle.
  • 00:19:42
    There’s no way we can facilitate it.
  • 00:19:45
    The community who feels aggrieved
  • 00:19:49
    must pursue it through the courts.
  • 00:19:55
    The national government appears
  • 00:19:56
    to have been aware of problems with plasma
  • 00:19:59
    since at least 2019.
  • 00:20:03
    A year before,
  • 00:20:05
    236 advocacy organisations and labour unions
  • 00:20:07
    wrote an open letter to the
  • 00:20:09
    president of Indonesia and the European Union,
  • 00:20:11
    accusing palm companies of using plasma
  • 00:20:14
    to take over community lands.
  • 00:20:16
    In 2018,
  • 00:20:18
    President Joko Widodo released a moratorium
  • 00:20:20
    on the issuance of new oil palm plantation permits.
  • 00:20:23
    A year later,
  • 00:20:24
    President Jokowi urged his administration
  • 00:20:26
    to expedite the process of resolving land disputes,
  • 00:20:29
    even though he didn’t specifically mention plasma conflicts.
  • 00:20:33
    Concessions that were given
  • 00:20:34
    to private and state-owned companies,
  • 00:20:37
    f there’s a village in the area,
  • 00:20:39
    there’s a community,
  • 00:20:41
    who have lived there for years,
  • 00:20:43
    and they wanted to be a part of the concession…
  • 00:20:49
    Whoever has the concession, give it to them.
  • 00:20:55
    Give it to the community, the village,
  • 00:21:01
    give them legal certainty. I’m telling you,
  • 00:21:03
    if the concession holder makes it difficult,
  • 00:21:05
    take away the permit.
  • 00:21:08
    But in many parts of Indonesia
  • 00:21:09
    land disputes, including those linked to plasma, go on.
  • 00:21:13
    The moratorium halting new permits
  • 00:21:15
    for oil palm plantations was not optimal.
  • 00:21:17
    We contacted the Minister of Agriculture,
  • 00:21:19
    Syahrul Yasin Limpo,
  • 00:21:21
    and Minister of Environment and Forestry,
  • 00:21:23
    Siti Nurbaya for interviews.
  • 00:21:25
    Both did not respond to our request.
  • 00:21:28
    Ten officials from four different ministries
  • 00:21:29
    were tasked by the president
  • 00:21:31
    with implementing the moratorium,
  • 00:21:33
    but they refused or did not respond
  • 00:21:35
    to our interview requests.
  • 00:21:37
    The intent of the presidential instruction
  • 00:21:40
    was to improve governance
  • 00:21:42
    and raise productivity.
  • 00:21:43
    But unfortunately it did not go well.
  • 00:21:45
    They created an instrument for improvement.
  • 00:21:50
    But in practice on the ground there was nothing.
  • 00:21:54
    Four years after
  • 00:21:55
    the presidential instruction was issued,
  • 00:21:57
    the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs
  • 00:21:59
    said the task force they created
  • 00:22:00
    was still trying to get plasma data.
  • 00:22:02
    It’s been a mess from the start.
  • 00:22:04
    We are trying to tidy up the [plasma] data.
  • 00:22:05
    In the [2020] Job Creation Law,
  • 00:22:07
    the existing obligations are strengthened.
  • 00:22:08
    The functions of each ministry must be made clearer.
  • 00:22:11
    We need to draft the implementing regulations.
  • 00:22:14
    The will is there, but we need time.
  • 00:22:19
    But we are talking about
  • 00:22:23
    agrarian reform in a broad sense,
  • 00:22:26
    which has been a national strategic program
  • 00:22:28
    for President Jokowi since 2015.
  • 00:22:32
    Responding to our questions via text message,
  • 00:22:34
    the Ministry of Agriculture admitted
  • 00:22:36
    that the compliance level of palm companies is weak.
  • 00:22:45
    In the last two years,
  • 00:22:47
    the Competition Commission, or KPPU,
  • 00:22:50
    investigated ten cases of companies suspected of
  • 00:22:53
    controlling community plasma plantations.
  • 00:22:57
    Some have yet to provide [plasma].
  • 00:22:59
    Some don’t even know where the plasma is.
  • 00:23:01
    Some made changes, so this point was fulfilled.
  • 00:23:08
    Some have financial reports,
  • 00:23:12
    having started clearing and preparing the land;
  • 00:23:19
    some do not have any.
  • 00:23:21
    Some only write down the budget.
  • 00:23:23
    But where’s the logic?
  • 00:23:25
    The government as a regulator,
  • 00:23:28
    it has to be serious to resolve the conflicts.
  • 00:23:35
    So there have to be institutions
  • 00:23:37
    or mechanisms that can do it.
  • 00:23:41
    Most of the products we buy from supermarkets
  • 00:23:45
    or minimarkets everyday contain palm oil.
  • 00:23:49
    The selling of these products
  • 00:23:51
    ranging from snacks and ice cream to bath soaps -
  • 00:23:55
    should also benefit communities,
  • 00:24:00
    if palm companies in Indonesia
  • 00:24:03
    follow the rules in providing plasma.
  • 00:24:09
    Indofood Agri Resources,
  • 00:24:11
    the parent company of London Sumatra,
  • 00:24:13
    which owns plantations on Orang Rimba lands,
  • 00:24:15
    supplies palm oil to
  • 00:24:16
    Kellogg's,
  • 00:24:17
    Johnson & Johnson
  • 00:24:19
    and PZ Cussons.
  • 00:24:21
    Meanwhile, palm oil from Palmdale’s plantations
  • 00:24:24
    has been purchased by a number
  • 00:24:25
    of multinational companies,
  • 00:24:27
    including Unilever, Danone, Reckitt,
  • 00:24:29
    which owns the Dettol brand,
  • 00:24:31
    and Mondelez,
  • 00:24:32
    the maker of Cadbury and Oreo products.
  • 00:24:35
    We also found state oil company Pertamina
  • 00:24:37
    allegedly buying palm oil from companies
  • 00:24:40
    that did not provide the required plasma.
  • 00:24:45
    Reporter: There’s a plasma cooperation that
  • 00:24:47
    claims promises were made by a company.
  • 00:24:49
    But the promises were never realised.
  • 00:24:52
    The communities said this is not fair.
  • 00:24:56
    I am speaking on behalf of GAPKI members.
  • 00:25:01
    If that is so,
  • 00:25:02
    maybe the companies are not our members,
  • 00:25:05
    I don’t know.
  • 00:25:07
    One thing is for sure,
  • 00:25:07
    we never have any reports from
  • 00:25:09
    GAPKI members about that.
  • 00:25:11
    If the communities have given up their land,
  • 00:25:13
    and they asked for plasma
  • 00:25:14
    but the companies did not develop the plasma,
  • 00:25:16
    I think they can sue.
  • 00:25:19
    Especially if there was a written contract.
  • 00:25:23
    PT PP London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk
  • 00:25:26
    which operates in Tebing Tinggi, South Sumatra,
  • 00:25:28
    is listed as a GAPKI member.
  • 00:25:31
    Meanwhile, PT Palmdale Agroasia Lestari
  • 00:25:33
    is not a GAPKI member.
  • 00:25:36
    Reporter: If we found there were GAPKI members
  • 00:25:40
    who have problems with plasma provision,
  • 00:25:44
    what would you do?
  • 00:25:46
    I tell you what.
  • 00:25:47
    Give us the info, which companies,
  • 00:25:50
    and we will investigate internally.
  • 00:25:54
    We have to know what the underlying problem is.
  • 00:25:56
    For example, as I said earlier,
  • 00:25:59
    the legal obligation came into effect in 2007
  • 00:26:02
    It did not exist before.
  • 00:26:05
    The reason they didn’t build plasma is
  • 00:26:08
    because the area is in a forest area
  • 00:26:10
    If it is so, we do have such reports.
  • 00:26:13
    ‘We cannot build plasma because
  • 00:26:16
    it is located in a forest area.’
  • 00:26:20
    If we push them to develop it,
  • 00:26:23
    the company will get into trouble.
  • 00:26:26
    The explanation that there
  • 00:26:28
    isn’t enough land for plasma
  • 00:26:30
    was rejected by the palm farmers union.
  • 00:26:34
    Actually, what’s debatable
  • 00:26:35
    is where the 20% should come from.
  • 00:26:42
    If we’re looking at the 2007 regulation,
  • 00:26:47
    the Ministry of Agriculture regulation,
  • 00:26:51
    a minimum of 20% of the area
  • 00:26:57
    should be allocated from
  • 00:26:58
    the land the companies use.
  • 00:27:01
    So, if the phrase is
  • 00:27:04
    ‘from the total land used’
  • 00:27:06
    it has to be from within
  • 00:27:08
    the company’s licensed area.
  • 00:27:10
    Because companies have rights to use
  • 00:27:11
    the land if they have that licence.
  • 00:27:17
    Our investigation team contacted
  • 00:27:18
    several multinational consumer goods firms
  • 00:27:21
    whose public records show
  • 00:27:24
    they have bought palm oil
  • 00:27:26
    from Indofood Agri Resources,
  • 00:27:28
    and from companies that bought palm oil
  • 00:27:30
    from a mill that processed fruit
  • 00:27:33
    from Palmdale until 2020.
  • 00:27:35
    Unilever said it requires its suppliers
  • 00:27:38
    to follow national laws
  • 00:27:40
    and sustainability rules
  • 00:27:42
    and would consider suspending purchases
  • 00:27:45
    from companies who break the law.
  • 00:27:47
    Kellogg’s, Danone, and Johnson & Johnson
  • 00:27:50
    said they had initiated a grievance process
  • 00:27:53
    in response to our findings.
  • 00:27:56
    Mondelēz said they had spoken to their partners
  • 00:27:59
    and experts to
  • 00:28:01
    “understand the plasma issues better”
  • 00:28:03
    and how their company can handle the issue.
  • 00:28:07
    Reckitt and PZ Cussons
  • 00:28:09
    told us that in addition to investigating
  • 00:28:11
    the cases we found in this investigation,
  • 00:28:14
    they would take further steps
  • 00:28:16
    to find out whether their suppliers
  • 00:28:18
    had met their plasma obligations.
  • 00:28:22
    But activists say pressure
  • 00:28:24
    from consumer goods firms
  • 00:28:26
    might not be strong enough.
  • 00:28:29
    Public pressure is an important component.
  • 00:28:32
    When this is published,
  • 00:28:34
    the hope is that the public
  • 00:28:36
    or the market will respond,
  • 00:28:41
    pressuring the palm oil companies
  • 00:28:43
    to resolve the issues.
  • 00:28:46
    The big homework for
  • 00:28:47
    consumer goods firms is how
  • 00:28:49
    they can monitor down to the ground
  • 00:28:53
    and ensure their standards are applied properly.
  • 00:29:01
    Because as far as they know,
  • 00:29:03
    they have bought clean palm oil,
  • 00:29:08
    palm oil without problems.
  • 00:29:12
    But the facts from the ground
  • 00:29:14
    show the palm oil they buy does have problems.
  • 00:29:18
    The consequences of the plasma,
  • 00:29:21
    which I call fake plasma,
  • 00:29:25
    is that farmers have lost a lot.
  • 00:29:33
    And it has become a modus operandi
  • 00:29:36
    for land grabbing.
  • 00:29:39
    The victory of Rita Dihales
  • 00:29:41
    against a palm oil company
  • 00:29:43
    is an example of how law enforcement
  • 00:29:46
    may be the only way forward.
  • 00:29:47
    for communities to regain
  • 00:29:49
    the rights to their land.
  • 00:29:52
    But to bring back
  • 00:29:53
    the initial purpose of plasma
  • 00:29:55
    as a tool to alleviate poverty
  • 00:29:56
    the government must be serious
  • 00:29:58
    in resolving the apparent chaos in the plasma system.
  • 00:30:01
    Don’t let it happen again,
  • 00:30:01
    that communities give up their land
  • 00:30:03
    but only companies profit.
  • 00:30:05
    In the future,
  • 00:30:06
    all companies everywhere in Indonesia,
  • 00:30:09
    please change the way you behave,
  • 00:30:11
    stop harming the little people.
  • 00:30:15
    Please change,
  • 00:30:16
    we have to believe that
  • 00:30:18
    this way of life will continue
  • 00:30:19
    for our children and grandchildren.
Tag
  • Indonesia
  • palm oil
  • plasma
  • conflict
  • land rights
  • Orang Rimba
  • agribusiness
  • multinational companies
  • community rights
  • environmental justice