A conflict over land granted to a eucalyptus pulp manufacturer by the Indonesian state threatens not only the livelihoods of the indigenous people who claim the forests, but also their ability to perform traditional rituals passed down across generations.
Tag: Indigenous Rights
Posted inPodcast
Our Mothers’ Land: Women Resist the Privatisation of Nature
Deborah Augustin speaks to Febriana Firdaus and Leo Plunkett about their recent documentary, Our Mother’s Land. Febriana and Leo talk about their experience with this film and share their thoughts on the challenges women activists face in Indonesia when it comes to environmental activism.
Posted inFeature
Indigenous Women Resist Indonesia’s Sweet Tooth Evictions
From colonial tobacco plantations to state sugar interests, indigenous farmers in one North Sumatran village have faced recurring evictions and displacement. Indonesia’s drive to become sugar self-sufficient has left them homeless again.
Posted inPodcast
A Future Rooted in Our Forests
On today’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Shaq Koyok, a contemporary artist from the indigenous Temuan community about his thoughts on the plan to degazette 97% of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve in Malaysia, an area that not only has an important role to play in conserving biodiversity, but is also significant to the indigenous communities who rely on it to survive.
Posted inComic
Nama Sempekat MA63? Nama kebuah ia mai reti ti besai ngagai Sabah enggau Sarawak
Ba dalam Sempekat Malaysia 1963, Sabah enggau Sarawak bela nyadi kaban kunsi begulai enggau dulu kelia dikangau Serakup Persekutuan Malaya, tang pia penemu tu nyu makin majak lenyau. Ditu meh kebuah mulai ke ia serta nama mai ia besai reti ngagai semua.
Posted inComic
What Is the MA63? And Why it Is Important to Sabah and Sarawak
Under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, Sabah and Sarawak were equal partners to the former Federation of Malaya, but this standing has since been eroded. Here’s what restoring it will mean, and why it’s important.
Posted inFeature
A Tradition Inherited Through a Dream
Wet talcum powder is known across Indonesia for having a wide variety of health benefits. But changes in the environment and agricultural practices have meant that its production—usually handed down through generations—could soon dry up.
To access this post, you must purchase a Membership.
Posted inResearch
The Citizens’ Agenda: The Parties Respond
Nearly a year ago, we embarked on the Citizens’ Agenda: our quest to find out what our Singaporean community thinks are the most important issues facing Singapore, and then to write and commission articles on those subjects. Now, with Singapore’s General Election looming, we complete our journey by telling you how the political parties responded to the issues.
Posted inFeature
Fighting for Their Land
Massive deforestation is decimating wildlife and biodiversity in Malaysia. For the Orang Asli who live on ancestral land in the rainforest, the daily struggle to protect their rights has been made even more challenging by the recent Covid-19 outbreak.
To access this post, you must purchase a Membership.
Posted inFeature
Fighting Fowl in Sulawesi
Chickens hold prestigious positions in Toraja, South Sulawesi. Their presence is embedded in local mythology and history, and cockfighting is an activity that’s not only a form of gambling, but also part of important rituals and used for conflict resolution.
To access this post, you must purchase a Membership.