License to Clear: The Dark Side of Permitting in West Papua
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Case Study 9: Merauke, PT Merauke Rayon Jaya Issues of potential concern: • • • •
Changes to Forest Moratorium Concession issued by Soeharto still valid Weak regulations Indigenous opposition
© Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat
A view over PT Merauke Rayon Jaya's concession 2 Oct. 2020.
The largest change to the Forest Moratorium map in Papua Province has been made to accommodate not an oil palm plantation, but an industrial timber plantation, PT Merauke Rayon Jaya (PT MRJ).414 Its case also differs from the other case studies in this report because the change was made not in response to a company request, but after the MoEF lost a court case brought by the company. However, it is relevant to this report because it illustrates clearly how the
414 Formerly named PT Maharani Rayon Jaya.
government’s long-term failure to produce a clear and unambiguous system of forest regulation allows flawed projects instigated many years ago to continue to pose a threat. The sheer amount of primary forest at risk of being destroyed in this concession, as well as the scale of the threat to Indigenous people’s land rights, culture and livelihoods, also demand attention.
