News

Urgent letter of concern for the safety of land and human rights defenders impacted by the Korindo Group and POSCO International, from 126 NGOs

To:

Korindo Group
POSCO International
Indonesian Presidential Staff Office / Kantor Staf Presiden
Chief of Police, Indonesian National Police / Kapolri, Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia
Office of the Inspectorate General of the National Police / Kantor Inspektorat Jenderal Kepolisian Nasional
Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission / Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi
National Human Rights Commission Indonesia / Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia Indonesia
Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Jakarta / Kedutaan Besar Republik Korea Selatan, Jakarta
United Nations Human Rights Council / Dewan Hak Asasi Manusia PBB
UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights / Kelompok Kerja PBB tentang Bisnis dan HAM
Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples / Pelapor Khusus tentang Hak Masyarakat Adat
Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions / Pelapor Khusus tentang Eksekusi Ekstra-yudisial, Ringkas-cepat, atau Sewenang-wenang
United Nations Development Program / Program Pembangunan PBB
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development / Organisasi Kerjasama dan Pembangunan Ekonomi
Forest Stewardship Council (provides Korindo with FSC label / pemberi label FSC kepada Korindo)
Sumitomo Forestry (purchaser of Korindo wood / pembeli kayu Korindo)
Oji Group (joint venture partner with Korindo pulpwood / mitra usaha patungan pulpwood Korindo)
Bank Negara Indonesia (lender to Korindo / pemberi pinjaman Korindo)
Siemens Gamesa (purchaser of Korindo wind turbines / pembeli turbin angin Korindo)
Citigroup (lender to POSCO / pemberi pinjaman POSCO)
Mirae Asset Financial Group (lender to POSCO / pemberi pinjaman POSCO)
Credit Agricole (lender to POSCO / pemberi pinjaman POSCO)
The Korean National Pension Fund (investor in POSCO / investor POSCO)
BlackRock (Investor in POSCO / investor POSCO)

Friday, July 3, 2020

Re: Urgent concern for the safety of land and human rights defenders impacted by the Korindo Group and POSCO International, Indonesia.

To all concerned

We write with an urgent appeal for your immediate attention and diligence in preventing further human rights abuses associated with the operations of the Korindo Group and POSCO International.

Following the release of an Al Jazeera documentary aired on 25th June 2020, which featured testimony and a range of other disturbing evidence and allegations of wrongdoing by both Korindo and POSCO operations, we are gravely concerned for the safety of impacted communities and individuals.

The death of Papuan farmer Marius Betera (MB) on 16 May this year highlights the pattern of violence and intimidation faced by communities and individuals who voice grievances against company operations or assert their rights under the Indonesian Constitution. According to a civil society statement, Marius died hours after being beaten by a policeman outside the field offices of PT Tunas Sawa Erma (Korindo Group), where he had arrived to complain against Korindo’s destruction of his banana farm. Korindo have also issued a statement about the death. Since his death, community member Petrus Kinggo (PK), who has been searching for answers on the death of MB, reports being threatened by men who arrived from Korindo’s company camp. PK has also discovered that photos of him circled in red have been distributed by Whatsapp without knowing the source and motive for the distribution.

We also note and support the submission by Indonesian CSOs to a number of UN Special Rapporteurs and the Indonesian Government, urging a full and transparent investigation into Marius’ death, justice and remedy for Marius’ family, and demands that security services uphold people’s rights instead of acting as enforcement agencies for private corporate interests.

Korindo’s threat to pursue legal action against CSOs and media outlets investigating its conduct adds to its record of trying to avoid scrutiny through legal bullying.

To the Korindo Group and POSCO International: we demand respect for the human rights of all communities impacted by your operations, to ensure the safety of all stakeholders including community members, workers and CSOs, commit to full remedy for prior harms done through a transparent process involving all affected stakeholders, and fully cooperate in any investigations into alleged land and human rights abuses linked to your company group operations.

To all public bodies with oversight or enforcement responsibilities for protecting human rights: to proactively intervene in the situation by warning Korindo, POSCO and local security services that complete restraint must be shown and that any rights violations or other retaliation measures against communities or activists will not be tolerated, and to fully investigate any allegations of land or human rights abuses.

To all organizations and companies that are enabling or profiting from Korindo and POSCO operations: to publicly announce a commitment to zero tolerance for any rights violations in supply chain or investment relationships, to undertake robust due diligence and monitoring of Korindo and POSCO operations, participate in any investigation or remedy process linked to business relationships, and to suspend relationships if acceptable standards of operation are not rapidly assured.

From:

1Advocates for Public Interest Law and Korean Transnational Corporations (APIL)
2Aliansi Demokrasi untuk Papua (AlDP)
3Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN)
4AMAN Nusa Bunga
5AMAN Sorong Raya
6Amazon Watch
7APVVU
8Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
9awasMIFEE
10BABEOSER BIKAR
11Bina Rakyat Sejahtera
12Biodiversity Conservation Center
13Biofuelwatch
14Bruno Manser Fund
15Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC)
16Dewan Adat Papua
17Earthsight
18EcoNexus
19EJF Indonesia
20ELPAGAR Kalbar
21ELSAM
22Environmental Investigation Agency
23Environmental Paper Network
24Etnika Semesta Katulistiwa
25Fern
26FIAN Indonesia
27Forest Peoples Programme
28Forest Watch Indonesia
29Forum Independen Mahasiswa West Papua
30Forum Ökologie & Papier
31Friends of the Earth US
32GARDA Papua
33Genesis Bengkulu
34Gita Pertiwi
35Global Forest Coalition (GFC)
36Global Justice Ecology Project
37GRAIN
38Greenpeace
39HUMAN Rights NOW
40Human Rights Now
41Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)
42ICEL
43Imparsial
44International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)
45Japan Tropical Forest Action Network(JATAN)
46Jaringan Kerja Pemetaan Partisipatif
47Jaringan Kerja Rakyat (JERAT) Papua
48JIKALAHARI
49Kaoem Telapak
50Kelompok Kerja Sistem HUtan Kerakyatan (POKKER SHK)
51Kemitraan
52Komunitas Peduli Lingkungan Timika (Lepemawi)
53Konfederasi Serikat Nasional
54KontraS
55Korea Federation for Environmental Movements / Friends of the Earth Korea
56KPA Sulsel
57KPA Sultra
58KRuHA
59LBH Banda Aceh
60LBH Papua
61LBH Pers
62Lembaga Advokasi Perempuan Papua (eLAdPPer)
63Lembaga Bentang Alam Hiau (LemBAH), Bengkayang, Kalimantan Barat
64Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi HAM (ELSHAM) Papua
65Lingkar Gerakan Rakyat
66LPESM Riau
67Mighty Earth
68MTÜ Eesti Metsa Abiks (Estonian Forest Aid)
69National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
70National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Industries Workers
71North South Initiative
72NTFP-EP
73Oceanic Preservation Society
74Orang Utan Republik Foundation, Inc.
75Organisasi Penguatan dan Pengembangan Usaha-Usaha Kerakyatan (OPPUK)
76PADI Indonesia
77PAHAM Papua
78PAKATIVA Malut
79PapuaItuKita
80Papuana Conservation
81Paritas Institute
82PBHR Sulteng
83Perkumpulan Bantuan Hukum Keadilan dan Perdamaian (PBHKP) Sorong
84Perkumpulan Belantara Papua
85Perkumpulan Panah Papua
86Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP)
87PIVOT POINT
88Pro REGENWALD
89Profundo
90PUSAKA
91PUSPAHAM SULTRA
92Rainforest Action Network (RAN)
93Rainforest Foundation UK
94ResEARCH CENTER FOR RurAL DEVELOPMENT
95Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)
96Save Our Borneo
97Sawit Watch
98Sekretariat Keadilan dan Perdamaian Keuskupan Agung Merauke (SKP KAMe)
99SERUNI
100Solidaritas Perempuan
101Sulteng Bergerak
102TAPOL
103Tiki Jaringan HAM Perempuan Papua
104Trade Union Rights Centre
105Transformasi untuk Keadilan INDONESIA
106Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity (TPOLS) Network
107Verité Southeast Asia (VSEA)
108Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Kalimantan Tengah
109WALHI Eknas
110WALHI Jabar
111WALHI Jakarta
112WALHI Jambi
113WALHI Jateng
114WALHI Kalbar
115WALHI Kaltim
116WALHI Maluku Utara
117WALHI NTB
118WALHI Papua
119WALHI Sulawesi Utara
120WALHI Sulsel
121WALHI Sulteng
122WALHI Sumsel
123WALHI Yogyakarta
124Water Justice and Gender
125World Rainforest Movement
126Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
127Yayasan Earthqualizer
128Yayasan Genesis Bengkulu
129Yayasan HAkA
130Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI)
131Yayasan Pelestari Lingkungan Hijau Kalimantan Utara
132Yayasan Perlindungan Insani
133Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat (PUSAKA)
134Yayasan Satu Keadilan

Download the letter here.