Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is urging the government – and the police in particular – to tighten supervision of the palm oil industry following the finding of human cage at the home of non-active Langkat Regent Terbit Rencana Perangin Angin.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has outlined at least three environmental problems found from the results of a Strategic Environmental Study (KLHS) on Indonesia's proposed site for a new capital city (IKN) in North Penajam Paser regency, East Kalimantan.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that 222 illegal palm oil corporations have been granted amnesty or in other words they can continue operating despite not meeting the legal requirements.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that around 350 companies will be let off the hook thanks to the enactment of Law Number 11/2020 on Job Creation (Ciptaker). This number may change because Walhi is still collecting data.

Reiner Brabar, Aimas – Supporting the regional government's plan to revoke the business permits of three palm oil companies, at least 53 organisations have decided to spend the night at the Sorong Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) office in West Papua province.

Jakarta – Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Food, Water and Essential Ecosystem Campaign Manager Wahyu Perdana says that this is not the first time that the government has tried to defend investment instead of the environment and the public.

Jakarta – West Kalimantan Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Regional Executive Director Nicodemus Ale says that the acute flooding in Sintang regency needs to be understood in terms of the impact of deforestation.

Ale says that forest cover in Sintang has declined by 516,000 hectares over the last 10 years.

Jakarta – West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji expelled 20 representatives of palm oil companies from a meeting at his office because they failed to respond when asked to help dealing with floods in the area.

Jakarta – Students held demonstration in several cities around the country on Thursday to mark seven years of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration. Widodo meanwhile chose to leave Jakarta to officiate the opening of a palm oil processing factory owned by the PT Jhonlin Group in South Kalimantan.

Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) says that based on their analysis the September 2 killing of four soldiers during an attack on the Kisor sub-district military post in Maybrat regency, West Papua province, the attack is being used as means to force the KNPB into a corner and to criminalise them.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) political desk head, Khalisa Khalid, says that they were concerned from the start that the enactment of the Job Creation Law would impact on environmental protection.

Jakarta – The environmental non-government organisation (NGO) Trend Asia has criticised the government's decision to remove coal ash from the category of hazardous and toxic wastes (B3). According to the group, the move will only benefit business and elite groups.

Zakarias Demon Daton, Samarinda – Three leading figures from the Dayak Modang Long Wai traditional community in Long Bentuk village, Busang sub-district, East Kutai, East Kalimantan, were arrested by police on the afternoon of Saturday February 27.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Monitoring Coalition says that deforestation in Papua has increased under the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. The Coalition is made up of 11 non-government organisations (NGOs).

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has accused sections of the oligarchy in government circles of being one of the causes of the series of natural disasters that have occurred around the country over the last few weeks.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called for stronger global commitments, in this case from the advanced countries, to tackle climate change. This, said Widodo, is because the impacts of climate change were very real for archipelagic nations like Indonesia.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) Coordinator Merah Johansyah has refuted Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Moeldoko’s statement that the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is not selling off permits to open new mines and palm oil plantations.

Jakarta – Natural disasters have hit several parts of Indonesia at the start of 2021. The series of distressing calamities began on Saturday January 9 when landslide claimed 32 lives in Sumedang, West Java.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) is urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to summon companies which have business permits covering forest areas and land in South Kalimantan.

Feybien Ramayanti, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia suspects that the flash floods which have inundated South Kalimantan are because watershed areas lost around 304,225 hectares of forest cover between 2001 and 2019. Most of this has been converted into palm oil plantations.