Jakarta – Twenty-two Indonesian civil society organisations have called on the European Union (EU) to consider the escalating deforestation crisis in Papua as part of its risk assessment under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In a letter sent to key EU officials, the groups highlighted the urgent need to classify Papua as a high-risk region due to widespread forest destruction and threats to Indigenous communities.
Papua’s rainforests, covering over 2 million hectares, face increasing pressure from large-scale agricultural expansion, particularly from the palm oil and timber industries. Civil society representatives warn that weak legal protections and ongoing deforestation violate Indigenous rights, particularly those of the Malind and Yei peoples.
“We urge the European Commission to ensure that Article 29(4)(d) is applied consistently and strictly across all countries and regions, including West Papua. Without a rigorous approach to forest and Indigenous rights protection, the EUDR framework risks failing to achieve its goal of preventing deforestation and human rights violations in global supply chains,” said Andi Muttaqien, Executive Director of Satya Bumi.
The organisations are urging the EU to take a firm stance in its EUDR benchmarking process, which will classify regions based on their deforestation risk by June 30, 2025. They have also called for greater scrutiny from international human rights bodies to assess violations linked to land clearing and plantation expansion in Papua.
In the letter the civil society groups specifically calls on the EU to prioritise the risk of deforestation in Papua related to food and energy plantations; request the UN Human Rights Council and other relevant bodies to investigate whether the situation in West Papua constitutes a violation of Indonesia’s international human rights obligations; and support Indonesia in finding sustainable ways to enhance food and energy security.
“The European Union must consider the destruction of livelihoods, the economic dispossession, and the social fragmentation occurring in several districts in South Papua, including the intimidation by military and police forces. Europe’s clean consumption should not only be free from deforestation but also free from the destruction of human dignity,” said Franky Samperante, Director of the Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation.
As Indonesia’s last remaining natural forest stronghold, Papua is at a critical tipping point. Activists warn that without decisive action, large-scale deforestation could accelerate under President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s land development ambitions, further endangering both the environment and Indigenous livelihoods.
“Papua is a distinctive region and its protection is crucial. Our modeling results indicate that the cap for oil palm development in Papua is 290,837 hectares. Currently, oil palm plantation development has reached 290,659 hectares, meaning it has already reached the cap. The EU Commission should carefully assess this situation when considering benchmarking”, said Giorgio Budi Indrarto, Deputy Director of Yayasan MADANI Berkelanjutan. (nsh)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
