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: North Sumatra
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 inFeature
A Porcine Paradigm
Halal tourism has become big business in Southeast Asia in recent years. But in communities that have traditionally celebrated pigs, this initiative by local governments has caused concern and contention.
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Black Gold of the Sinabung Foothills
Coffee culture has uplifted coffee beans as an international commodity while also initiating a “third-wave coffee movement” that ensures free trade. Yet the lives of coffee workers throughout the industry chain tells a very different story.
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Posted inResearch
Journalism and Syariah in Aceh: Uncomfortable Co-existence
What are the ethics of journalism when it comes to reporting on the implementation of criminal bylaws in Aceh, Indonesia? The 2012 suicide of a 16-year-old girl triggered a debate among journalists that remains unresolved.
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Hell in the House of God
Residents of Singkil, a largely Christian area in Muslim-majority Aceh Province, struggle to preserve their houses of worship, highlighting the problematic and even contradictory state of religious harmony in Indonesia.
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“This Is Our World”
Mount Sinabung volcano has been erupting on and off for years, leaving hundreds of villagers displaced. Now they’re caught between new government accommodation and their old lives in the Red Zone.
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Dreams and Discrimination: Living with HIV/AIDS
People living with HIV/AIDS are still heavily stigmatised in Indonesia. For five children in Samosir Regency in North Sumatra, their HIV+ status has saddled them with heavy burdens beyond their years.
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What If The New Order “Curse” Still Applied?
In 1965 Indonesia experienced anti-communist purges which left thousands, or perhaps millions, of people dead. In North Sumatra, a former political prisoner reflects on what it was like to be labelled a communist and experience the “curse” of Suharto firsthand.
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Rohingya Refugees and the American Dream
For many refugees, resettlement can seem like the Hollywood ending they’ve been hoping for. But often it brings with it yet another set of challenges.
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