2) West Papuan Indigenous people call for KitKat boycott over alleged ecocide
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1) New Indonesian Military Law sparks concerns about human rights and democracy
On 20 March 2025, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) officially adopted amendments to Law Number 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Army (TNI). Despite widespread criticism and protests from civil society, student groups, and human rights organisations, the new TNI Law introduces significant changes with profound implications for democracy and human rights.
Civilian positions opened to active military personnel
Among the most contentious amendments is Article 47, which now permits active TNI soldiers to hold positions in 14 civilian ministries and agencies. These include institutions involved in politics, security, state intelligence, cyber security, disaster management, narcotics control, maritime security, the Attorney General’s Office, and even the Supreme Court. Previously, active military personnel had to retire or resign before taking civilian posts, maintaining a clearer division between civilian governance and military functions. This expansion raises fears of a return to the controversial dual-function doctrine (dwifungsi) practiced under former President Suharto’s New Order regime, threatening civilian supremacy and democratic oversight.
Extended retirement ages for senior officers
Article 53 revises retirement ages, extending them based on rank. Non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers now retire at 55 (previously 53), colonels at 58, and generals at varying ages up to 63 years, with potential further extensions via Presidential Decree. Critics argue that prolonged service periods could entrench military influence in politics and governance, limiting opportunities for necessary generational renewal and transparency.
Expanded military role in cybersecurity and overseas protection
The new law adds two tasks to the TNI’s responsibilities in Article 7, explicitly involving military assistance in cybersecurity and the protection of citizens and national interests abroad. These additional duties have raised concerns about blurred lines between military and civilian authority, particularly in cybersecurity, an area historically managed by civilian-led agencies.
Democratic backlash and demonstrations
The adoption of the law has sparked widespread protests. Demonstrations erupted immediately in multiple cities, including Jakarta and Makassar, with protesters asserting that democracy had been “killed in the DPR.” In Makassar, students from the Makassar Coalition to Reject the TNI Bill staged continuous protests demanding a reversal of the law’s ratification, denouncing the reintroduction of military dual-function doctrines. Similar demonstrations and public discussions opposing the amendments have occurred nationwide, reflecting significant dissatisfaction and fear regarding the direction of Indonesia’s governance.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian military and politicians in the DPR rejected accusations of authoritarian backsliding. General Agus Subiyanto, the TNI Commander, stated that the amendments would preserve civilian supremacy and military professionalism. Similarly, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin assured the public that the TNI would remain a professional “people’s army” dedicated to safeguarding national sovereignty.
However, recent developments indicate increasing attempts to suppress public dissent against the new law. A closed-door meeting on the amendments held at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta became controversial when three civil society activists protesting the secretive process were reported to the police by hotel security (see photo on top, screenshot), allegedly for disturbing public order. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) criticized the police report as an act of criminalization intended to silence legitimate criticism and obstruct civic participation.
A coalition of 34 civil society organizations under the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) strongly opposed the amendments, highlighting their incompatibility with Indonesia’s international human rights obligations. HRWG emphasized that the revisions contradict recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Committee, Universal Periodic Review, and key international human rights treaties ratified by Indonesia, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The coalition warned of severe diplomatic repercussions and potential downgrades in Indonesia’s civil liberties ratings, urging the establishment of an independent committee involving Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), human rights victims, and civil society to thoroughly review and reassess the law.
Human rights and international obligations
Amid intensifying protests and international concerns, the Indonesian government’s commitment to democracy, human rights, and military professionalism faces intense scrutiny both domestically and globally. Human rights organizations continue to demand accountability and adherence to Indonesia’s national and international obligations, urging the repeal or significant revision of the amendments to safeguard democratic governance and civilian oversight of the military.
The expanded military authority and weakening of civilian governance mechanisms present challenges to Indonesia’s human rights commitments under international law. Relevant international instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), emphasize the need for clear distinctions between civilian and military roles and the protection of civil liberties. Furthermore, according to the Minnesota Protocol and other international standards, the involvement of military personnel in civilian judicial processes or prosecutorial roles, such as through the Attorney General’s Office, raises significant concerns about impartiality and justice.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/20/west-papua-indonesia-palm-oil-deforestation-rainforest
2) West Papuan Indigenous people call for KitKat boycott over alleged ecocide
Thousands of acres of rainforest is being cleared to produce palm oil, used in popular Nestlé and Mondelēz brands
Damien Gayle Fri 21 Mar 2025 05.14 AEDT
West Papua’s Indigenous people have called for a boycott of KitKat, Smarties and Aero chocolate, Oreo biscuits and Ritz crackers, and the cosmetics brands Pantene and Herbal Essences, over alleged ecocide in their territory.
All are products that contain palm oil and are made, say the campaigners, by companies that source the ingredient directly from West Papua, which has been under Indonesian control since 1963 and where thousands of acres of rainforest are being cleared for agriculture.
More than 90 West Papuan tribes, political organisations and religious groups have endorsed the call for a boycott, which they say should continue until the people of West Papua are given the right to self-determination.
Raki Ap, a spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which is overseeing the call, said: “These products are linked to human rights violations, in the first place, because West Papuans are being forced, with violence, to get off the land where they’ve lived for thousands of years, which has now resulted in ecocide.
“This is a signal to the countries who are dealing with Indonesia, especially those in the Pacific region, to take notice of who they’re dealing with and how they are basically allowing Indonesia to continue the colonial project in West Papua, the human rights violations, and also ecocide.”
West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, home to the world’s third-largest rainforest. It is rich in natural resources, including the world’s largest gold and copper mine as well as extensive reserves of natural gas, minerals and timber.
It was part of the Dutch East Indies for a couple of centuries, but in 1963, in controversial circumstances, the territory was handed over to Indonesian control. As a result, say the campaigners, West Papua’s Indigenous Melanesians have not benefited from this wealth. They have been under occupation by Indonesia since 1963, facing repression the ULMWP describes as a “hidden genocide”.
West Papuans say more than 500,000 of their people have been killed by the occupation in the past six decades, while millions of acres of their ancestral lands have been destroyed for corporate profit. Indonesia, already the world’s largest palm oil exporter, is now breaking ground in West Papua on the world’s biggest single palm oil plantation, as well as a sugar cane and biofuel plantation that will be the largest deforestation project ever launched.
According to reports, companies behind the Tanah Merah project plan to establish palm oil plantations in the country’s east across more than 140,000 hectares (346,000 acres) – an area twice the size of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. At the same time, Indonesian authorities have plans to turn Merauke, in the south, into a 2m-hectare site for the production of 2.6m tons of sugar and 244m litres of bioethanol each year.
“West Papuans’, especially the ULMWP, position is very clear: we are a modern-day colony,” said Ap, speaking from the Netherlands.
“Indonesia hijacked the right to self-determination in 1962 when the Netherlands and Indonesia signed an agreement without any consultation in West Papua … After that, in 1969, there was a so-called referendum, which wasn’t fair, which wasn’t under international law, one man, one vote: just 1,025 men were handpicked at gunpoint to vote for integration to Indonesia.
“So this is the foundation of the Indonesia’s colonial project. When we became part of Indonesia against our will, basically the genocide unfolded.”
A spokesperson for Nestlé, which produces KitKat, Smarties and Aero chocolate, said: “Nestlé has strict standards towards ensuring a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain. This is through a combination of tools, including supply chain mapping, certification, satellite monitoring and on-ground assessments. Any such allegations are taken very seriously and duly investigated.”
Mondelēz, which produces Oreos and Ritz crackers, and Procter and Gamble, which produces the Herbal Essences and Pantene brands, did not respond to requests for comment.
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