Another statement about the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership. Previous statement “not true”

PHOTO Credit: KFCP.

In June 2011, REDD-Monitor posted a statement signed by indigenous people in Kapuas District in Central Kalimantan demanding that the Australia-Indonesia Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership be stopped in Indigenous Peoples’ land. Recently REDD-Monitor received an email from the chairman of the Council of Indigenous Dayak (Dewan Adat Dayak – DAD) in Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan.

Attached to the email was a second statement – in response to the previous statement. The second statement is signed by the same 10 people as this first statement plus 16 new people. The statement states that,

the statement of customary leaders from Kadamangan Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan, about “Stopping the Indonesia-Australia REDD Project in the Dayak Indigenous Region of Central Kalimantan” is declared to be not true.

REDD-Monitor has no idea what is going on in Kapuas District or why 10 people would sign a statement opposing the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership only to sign a second statement shortly afterwards deciding that the first statement was “not true”. Neither is it clear why they chose not to attempt to answer any of the concerns raised in the previous statement, instead simply dismissing the entire statement as “not true”.

Rumours are flying around that the first statement was initiated by “an Australian NGO”, whose motivation is to prevent Australia from claiming carbon credits through REDD in Indonesia while little is done to reduce fossil fuel emissions at home. Meanwhile, the second statement was apparently organised by KFCP employees.

Regardless of which statement is “true”, or who organised the statements, there remain serious questions and concerns about the KFCP project, many of which have been reported on REDD-Monitor. Members of the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago – Central Kalimantan Chapter (AMAN Kalteng) issued a statement in June 2011, demanding an “immediate moratorium of all REDD+ processes and investments in Central Kalimantan”, until a series of conditions are met.

An excellent short film produced by Gekko Studio explores some of the complexities of the project (posted here) – complexities that the Australian government appears determined to ignore.

In 2010, the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins (part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) produced a Policy Brief about the peatlands of Central Kalimantan. The Brief, titled “Hot spots of confusion,” produced four main findings:

1. Contesting claimants were found to use current contradictions and inconsistencies of Indonesian laws, multi-sector policies and the articulation of local property rights and customary rights.

2. The ambivalence of the forest definition and associated property rights has ‘path dependence’, reflecting historical change of government laws, paradigms and public administration.

3. Legal arguments are not necessarily decisive in settling disputes, but the lack of respect for legality contributes to confusion, undermining authority.

4. Carbon rights in this area are not clear yet. They are at least as complex as the set of actors and agents who interact during the process that starts with a natural forest and ends with a landscape with few trees, high emissions but still high carbon stock.

While the Brief is not specifically about the KFCP project, it raises concerns that apply to the project. As yet there is little evidence that the project is addressing these problems (or the problems raised by AMAN Kalteng) in a meaningful way.

The new statement is posted below in English and Bahasa Indonesia (thanks to Wes, who posted the English translation as a comment on REDD-Monitor). The statement is also available here in Bahasa Indonesia with the list of signatories.

REDD-Monitor looks forward to further discussion about the Australia-Indonesia Kalimantan Forests and Carbon Partnership.

STATEMENT

Responding to the statement of customary leaders from Kadamangan Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan, on 7- 8 June 2011 at Katunjung village about “Stopping the Indonesia-Australia REDD Project in the Indigenous Dayak Region of Central Kalimanan,” we the undersigned customary leaders of Kadamangan Mantangai and Timpah hereby declare the following:

1. That the statement of customary leaders from Kadamangan Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan, about “Stopping the Indonesia-Australia REDD Project in the Dayak Indigenous Region of Central Kalimantan” is declared to be not true.
2. The above-mentioned statement was not made by the customary leaders of Kadamangan Mantangai but rather was made by irresponsible individuals.
3. Until this moment the relationship between us, the customary leaders of Kadamangan Mantangai and Timpah, and KFCP remains in a state of harmony, as long as we mutually respect, appreciate and protect the indigenous peoples’ rights.
4. KFCP’s program henceforth will be prepared together with customary institutions and the local indigenous community.

This statement is made genuinely and responsibly without being influenced by anyone and is to be shared and used properly.

SURAT PERNYATAAN

Menyikapi surat pernyataan mantir adat kedamangan mantangai kabupaten kapuas kalimantan tengah pada tanggal 7-8 Juni 2011 di Desa Katunjung perihal Hentikan Proyek

REDD lndonesia Australia di Wilayah Adat Dayak Kalimantan Tengah, maka dengan ini kami yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, Mantir adat yang ada diwilayah kedamangan mantangaidan timpah membuat pernyataan sebagai berikut:

1. Bahwa pernyataan sikap Mantir adat kedamangan Mantangai Kabupaten Kapuas – Australia di Wilayah Kalimantan Tengah tentang Hentikan Proyek REDD lndonesia Adat Dayak Kalimantan Tengah dinyatakan tidak benar.
2. Pernyatan tersebut diatas bukan dibuat oleh Mantir Adat Kedamangan Mantangai melainkan dibuat oknum yang tidak bertanggung jawab.
3. Sampai dengan saat ini hubungan kami mantir-mantir adat kedamangan mantangaidan Timpah terhadap KFCP tetap dalam keadaan harmonis, sepanjang saling menghormati, menghargai dan melindungi hak-hak masyarakat adat.
4. Program KFCP kedepan agar disusun bersama lembaga adat dan masyarakat adat setempat.

Demikian surat pernyatan ini kami buat dengan sebenarnya dan penuh tanggrng jawab tanpa dipengaruhi oleh siapapun juga, untuk diketahui bersama dan dipergunakan sebagaimana mestinya.