indonesia's dayak pitap want to
be left alone
friends of the earth
indonesia
|
The Dayak Pitap are a small
group of fewer than 900 people living
in the Meratus mountains of
South Kalimantan
,
Indonesia
. They live
mainly through small-scale
agriculture and rubber tapping, and
also raise poultry, hunt boar and
fish. For years, they have been
plagued by the forestry and mining
industries, which continue to pose
enormous threats to their livelihoods
and the local environment. They are
determined, however, to manage their
own livelihoods and environment
without external interference
.
|
South Kalimantan is blessed with natural
resources including forests and coal, and
has thus long been viewed by governments,
Indonesian companies, foreign corporations
and national security forces as a financial
‘cash cow'. In the 15-year period between
1984 and 1999, more than 100 million tons
of coal were produced in the province, with
an average annual production of 7.7 million
tons.
trickle up resource
exploitation
Only a few have enjoyed the benefits of
these riches, however, and communities have
watched their environment degrading with no
significant improvement in their welfare.
Bulldozers, excavators, and dump trucks
work night and day to exploit the land,
while local people observe from the
sidelines from within a cloud of ashes and
dust.
The Dayak Pitap have been defending
their rights to the environment and their
livelihoods since the early 1990s, when
they started feeling pressure from the
logging and mining industries. As a
response, they began to promote
community-based forest management as an
alternative to the private concession
system. Large-scale private land
concessions are responsible for
environmental disasters throughout
Indonesia , including flooding, community
intimidation, social conflict and the
erosion of traditional knowledge and
wisdom.
Despite these efforts, the local
government signed an agreement worth around
US$10 million with the PT Sari Bumi Sinar
Karya mining company. The Dayak Pitap are
united against the plan to open an iron ore
mine in the community's sacred land, which
spans two mountains. For the indigenous
community, this area has long been used as
a place of worship and as the final resting
place for their ancestors.
taking control of the
future
In response, the Dayak Pitap have
drafted their own proposals for the local
government on how to manage their natural
resources, how to preserve their local
customs and knowledge, and how to maintain
social communities. They have also
undertaken participatory mapping to
delineate their territories and secure
their rights, attended meetings with the
local parliament, and lobbied local and
national governments to protect and fulfill
their rights to their livelihoods.
The Dayak Pritap, by making use of their
right to say “no, thanks” to companies,
governments and other stakeholders, have
been an inspiration for other community
groups in Indonesia seeking to protect
their rights. They believe if the community
unites, nothing can beat them.
more information:
Friends of the Earth Indonesia:
www.walhi.or.id
