The indigenous Mentawai people from Indonesia's ancestral lands and way of life are under attack: "Biomas Andalan Energi is planning to create timber plantations on a total of 200 sq. km. (77 sq. miles) of primary rainforest and indigenous lands on the biggest island of the Mentawai archipelago, Siberut," in order to "use the timber as biomass for burning in electricity-generating plants," reports Mongabay.
Despite living on the land for thousands of years, the Mentawai are almost powerless to stop their lands from being exploited, destroyed and degraded. Over 80 percent of Mentawai lands are controlled by the government.
According to SinksWatch, "timber plantations almost always have negative impacts on local communities, local economies and biodiversity." For instance, most plantations replace healthy forests (i.e deforestation) and they emit climate-warming greenhouse gases. The plantations will also not protect many of Siberut's endemic plants and animals that depend on the forests.
Sign and share this petition urging Indonesian leaders to stop granting timber plantation licenses, to stop the development of the plantations and to give the Mentawai people the autonomy that they deserve in their ancestral lands.
Photo Credit: David Wright
