Open letter to European Commission Biomass Action Plan and the European Biofuel Directive

Berlin, January 3, 2007

Dear Madam, dear Sir,

on January 10th, 2007, the European Commission is going to make an announcement about the review of the Biomass Action Plan and the European Biofuel Directive.

In December 2006, the European Parliament recognized that the lack of clear environmental standards and safeguards could have significant negative effects, such as an increase in tropical deforestation, agriculture intensification and biodiversity losses in Europe and abroad, while failing to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For producer countries like ... read more

Posted on 09:05 PM in Agro Fuels, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch's Open Letters
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Joint letter on UPM-Kymenne’s cooperation with APRIL

December 20th, 2006

To:
Jussi Pesonen
President & CEO
UPM-Kymmene Oyj                                               

Dear Jussi Pesonen,

We, the undersigned citizens’ organisations, are deeply concerned about UPM-Kymmene’s on-going supplying of pulp from Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL). APRIL’s operations in Riau Province, Indonesia, are causing irreplaceable destruction of nature and social problems.

UPM has been involved with APRIL nearly ten years. During this time main problems of APRIL’s operations — supplying fibre from natural forests, large-scale conversion of rainforests for pulp ... read more

Posted on 04:14 AM in Economy, Labor & Corruption, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: biodiversity, Indonesia, carbon, land rights, plantations, rain forest destruction, Sumatra, environment and climate, economy and business

Drop plans to burn palm oil in power stations!

10 Oktober 2006

Letter to Richard Frost and Anita Longley, Npower (RWE)

Berlin, 10 Oktober 2006

Dear Mrs. Longley, Dear Mr. Frost,

We are deeply concerned about your plans to burn palm oil in power stations under the Renewables Obligation. The Renewables Obligation is supposed to help companies develop clean, climate-friendly technologies and a viable domestic renewable energy sector. Palm oil is neither clean nor climate-friendly. For producer countries like Indonesia, the growing demand for palm oil turns ... read more

Posted on 05:06 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch's Open Letters
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), Indonesia, palm oil, rain forest destruction, economy and business

(Deutsch) Deutsche Bank als „financial advisor“

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
German version

Posted on 05:20 PM in Economy, Labor & Corruption, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Pulp & Paper, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: Indonesia, Kalimantan / Borneo, pulp and paper, rain forest destruction, Sumatra, economy and business

Concerns regarding the United Fiber System pulpmill and wood chip mill in Indonesian Borneo (South Kalimantan)

common NGO letter, 21 November 2005

To:
Raiffeisen Zentralbank
z.H. Gen.Dir. Dr. Walter Rothensteiner
Am Stadtpark 9
A-1030 Wien

walter.rothensteiner@rzb.at
andreas.ecker@rzb.at

To:
Andritz AG
z.H. CEO Dr. Wolfgang Leitner
Stattegger Straße 18
A-8045 Graz

wolfgang.leitner@andritz.com
michael.buchbauer@andritz.com

Re: Concerns regarding the United Fiber System pulpmill and wood chip mill in Indonesian Borneo (South Kalimantan)

Dear Mr. Leitner and Mr. Rothensteiner,

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the involvement of your respective companies in the proposed construction of a huge pulp mill and of ... read more

Posted on 01:31 AM in Economy, Labor & Corruption, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: Indonesia, Kalimantan / Borneo, pulp and paper, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Palm oil plantations for biofuel production threaten tropical rainforest in Kalimantan

Open Letter

October 13, 2005

Francois Lamoureux Director-General Directorate-General Energy and Transport European Commission Dear. Mr. Lamoureux,

I am writing to express my concern about using palm oil and soya biomass as biofuels. To fulfill the demand for biofuel, large areas of tropical rainforests are currently already converted into plantations, with the effect, that lowland rainforest, especially in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, are cut down. Considering geological and ecological conditions in Borneo, in only a few years Borneo will become a ... read more

Posted on 08:19 AM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch's Open Letters
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, Kalimantan / Borneo, palm oil, rain forest destruction

Watch Indonesia! and other NGOs write Members of the UN Security Council on Commission of Experts & Timor Justice

August 22, 2005

Watch Indonesia! and other NGOs write Members of the UN Security Council General to express concern that the report of the independent Commission of Experts appointed to review the prosecution of serious violations of human rights in Timor-Leste in 1999 has not yet been scheduled for discussion by the Security Council. Read the complete letter here (PDF)

Posted on 02:12 PM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, East Timor, Publications, Transitional Justice
Tags: Indonesia, East Timor, rule of law, impunity, criminal prosecution, United Nations, crimes against humanity, reconciliation

Watch Indonesia! and other NGOs write Secretary-General on Commission of Experts & Timor Justice

August 22, 2005

Watch Indonesia! and other NGOs write Secretary-General to express concern that the report of the independent Commission of Experts appointed to review the prosecution of serious violations of human rights in Timor Leste in 1999 has not yet been scheduled for discussion by the Security Council. read the complete letter (PDF) 

Posted on 08:27 AM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, East Timor, Publications, Transitional Justice
Tags: Indonesia, East Timor, rule of law, impunity, criminal prosecution, transitional justice, United Nations, crimes against humanity, reconciliation

Int’l NGOs write UN-Secretary-General on Commission of Experts report

July 12, 2005

Watch Indonesia and other NGO write Secretary-General to encourage him to support the recommendations made by the Commission of Experts on East Timor that he established in February of this year and whose work concluded on May 26. We also urge him to publish the report of this Commission as soon as possible and to encourage the Security Council to meet soon to discuss its findings and recommendations. read the complete letter

Posted on 08:57 AM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, East Timor, Publications, Transitional Justice
Tags: Indonesia, international tribunal, human rights, East Timor, impunity, transitional justice, United Nations, reconciliation, truth commission, Wiranto

Open letter: There is merit in the idea of criteria

April 21, 2005

The honourable Delegation of Indonesia c/o Commission on Human Rights Geneva

 

Dear Excellency, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Indonesia has been elected to chair the 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights because of its constructive contributions to the UN system in the last years and as an acknowledgement to the democratisation process since 1998. The election of Indonesia as Chairman has raised expectations that the human rights agenda at domestic level will be further pushed in the near ... read more

Posted on 08:30 AM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Publications
Tags: 1965, Aceh, democracy, Indonesia, conflict resolution, human rights, Munir, Papua, regional conflicts, United Nations