“I still have my nature [traditional land], but the police always come to hunt. We put up a signpost to forbid them, but the police threw the sign away. In the afternoons there still used to be deer. But now there are none, all the birds are gone.” — KS, Kebar Valley, February 2020
A recent groundbreaking report by AJAR shows that, despite the promises of Special Autonomy giving Papuans more control over their natural resources, land primarily destined for palm oil plantations, is being sold over their heads. This report allows Papuan women, in their own voices, to speak out about their challenges in the face of diminishing resources, as they are ousted from land they have depended on for their livelihoods for centuries. Their precious forests are being clear-cut to make way for monoculture and big agriculture, and they are rapidly becoming strangers on their own land.
All the Birds Are Gone: Indigenous Women Speak Out Against Forest Loss in Papua
Burung pun Tak Ada Lagi: Perempuan Adat Bertahan Menghadapi Kehilangan Hutan di Papua