Urgent appeal in preventing further human rights abuses associated with the operations of the Korindo Group and POSCO

To 

Korindo Group

POSCO International

Indonesian Presidential Staff Office

Chief of Police, Indonesian National Police

Office of the Inspectorate General of the National Police

Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission

National Human Rights Commission Indonesia

Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Jakarta

 United Nations Human Rights Council

UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples

Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

United Nations Development Program

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Forest Stewardship Council (provides Korindo with FSC label)

Sumitomo Forestry (purchaser of Korindo wood)

Oji Group (joint venture partner with Korindo pulpwood)

Bank Negara Indonesia (lender to Korindo)

Siemens Gamesa (purchaser of Korindo wind turbines)

Citigroup (lender to POSCO)

Mirae Asset Financial Group (lender to POSCO)

Credit Agricole (lender to POSCO)

The Korean National Pension Fund (investor in POSCO )

BlackRock (Investor in POSCO)

 

Friday, July 3, 2020

Re: Urgent concern for the safety of land and human rights defenders impacted by the Korindo Group and POSCO International, Indonesia.

 

To all concerned

We write with an urgent appeal for your immediate attention and diligence in preventing further human rights abuses associated with the operations of the Korindo Group and POSCO International. Following the release of an Al Jazeera documentary aired on 25th June 2020, which featured testimony and a range of other disturbing evidence and allegations of wrongdoing by both Korindo and POSCO operations, we are gravely concerned for the safety of impacted communities and individuals.

The death of Papuan farmer Marius Betera (MB) on 16 May this year highlights the pattern of violence and intimidation faced by communities and individuals who voice grievances against company operations or assert their rights under the Indonesian Constitution. According to a civil society statement, Marius died hours after being beaten by a policeman outside the field offices of PT Tunas Sawa Erma (Korindo Group), where he had arrived to complain against Korindo’s destruction of his banana farm. Korindo have also issued a statement about the death. Since his death, community member Petrus Kinggo (PK), who has been searching for answers on the death of MB, reports being threatened by men who arrived from Korindo’s company camp. PK has also discovered that photos of him circled in red have been distributed by Whatsapp without knowing the source and motive for the distribution.

We also note and support the submission by Indonesian CSOs to a number of UN Special Rapporteurs and the Indonesian Government, urging a full and transparent investigation into Marius’ death, justice and remedy for Marius’ family, and demands that security services uphold people’s rights instead of acting as enforcement agencies for private corporate interests.

Korindo’s threat to pursue legal action against CSOs and media outlets investigating its conduct adds to its record of trying to avoid scrutiny through legal bullying.

 

To the Korindo Group and POSCO International:

we demand respect for the human rights of all communities impacted by your operations, to ensure the safety of all stakeholders including community members, workers and CSOs, commit to full remedy for prior harms done through a transparent process involving all affected stakeholders, and fully cooperate in any investigations into alleged land and human rights abuses linked to your company group operations.

 

To all public bodies with oversight or enforcement responsibilities for protecting human rights:

to proactively intervene in the situation by warning Korindo, POSCO and local security services that complete restraint must be shown and that any rights violations or other retaliation measures against communities or activists will not be tolerated, and to fully investigate any allegations of land or human rights abuses.

 

To all organizations and companies that are enabling or profiting from Korindo and POSCO operations:

to publicly announce a commitment to zero tolerance for any rights violations in supply chain or investment relationships, to undertake robust due diligence and monitoring of Korindo and POSCO operations, participate in any investigation or remedy process linked to business relationships, and to suspend relationships if acceptable standards of operation are not rapidly assured.

 

 

From: 

1 Advocates for Public Interest Law and Korean Transnational Corporations (APIL)
2 Aliansi Demokrasi untuk Papua (AlDP)
3 AMAN Nusa Bunga
4 AMAN Sorong Raya
5 Amazon Watch
6 APVVU
7 Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
8 awasMIFEE
9 BABEOSER BIKAR
10 Bina Rakyat Sejahtera
11 Biofuelwatch
12 Bruno Manser Fund
13 Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC)
14 Dewan Adat Papua
15 Earthsight
16 EcoNexus
17 EJF Indonesia
18 ELPAGAR Kalbar
19 ELSAM
20 Environmental Investigation Agency
21 Environmental Paper Network
22 Etnika Semesta Katulistiwa
23 Fern
24 FIAN Indonesia
25 Forest Peoples Programme
26 Forest Watch Indonesia
27 Forum Independen Mahasiswa West Papua
28 Forum Ökologie & Papier
29 Friends of the Earth US
30 GARDA Papua
31 Genesis Bengkulu
32 Gita Pertiwi
33 Global Forest Coalition (GFC)
34 Global Justice Ecology Project
35 GRAIN
36 Greenpeace
37 Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)
38 ICEL
39 Imparsial
40 International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)
41 Jaringan Kerja Pemetaan Partisipatif
42 Jaringan Kerja Rakyat (JERAT) Papua
43 JIKALAHARI
44 Kaoem Telapak
45 Kelompok Kerja Sistem HUtan Kerakyatan (POKKER SHK)
46 Kemitraan
47 Komunitas Peduli Lingkungan Timika (Lepemawi)
48 Konfederasi Serikat Nasional
49 KontraS
50 Korea Federation for Environmental Movements / Friends of the Earth Korea
51 KPA Sulsel
52 KPA Sultra
53 KRuHA
54 LBH Banda Aceh
55 LBH Papua
56 LBH Pers
57 Lembaga Advokasi Perempuan Papua (eLAdPPer)
58 Lembaga Bentang Alam Hiau (LemBAH), Bengkayang, Kalimantan Barat
59 Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi HAM (ELSHAM) Papua
60 Lingkar Gerakan Rakyat
61 LPESM Riau
62 Mighty Earth
63 MTÜ Eesti Metsa Abiks (Estonian Forest Aid)
64 National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
65 National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Industries Workers
66 North South Initiative
67 NTFP-EP
68 Oceanic Preservation Society
69 Orang Utan Republik Foundation, Inc.
70 Organisasi Penguatan dan Pengembangan Usaha-Usaha Kerakyatan (OPPUK)
71 PADI Indonesia
72 PAHAM Papua
73 PAKATIVA Malut
74 PapuaItuKita
75 Papuana Conservation
76 Paritas Institute
77 PBHR Sulteng
78 Perkumpulan Bantuan Hukum Keadilan dan Perdamaian (PBHKP) Sorong
79 Perkumpulan Belantara Papua
80 Perkumpulan Panah Papua
81 Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP)
82 PIVOT POINT
83 Pro REGENWALD
84 Profundo
85 PUSAKA
86 Rainforest Action Network (RAN)
87 Rainforest Foundation UK
88 ResEARCH CENTER FOR RurAL DEVELOPMENT
89 Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)
90 Save Our Borneo
91 Sawit Watch
92 Sekretariat Keadilan dan Perdamaian Keuskupan Agung Merauke (SKP KAMe)
93 Solidaritas Perempuan
94 Sulteng Bergerak
95 TAPOL
96 Tiki Jaringan HAM Perempuan Papua
97 Trade Union Rights Centre
98 Transformasi untuk Keadilan INDONESIA
99 Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity (TPOLS) Network
100 Verité Southeast Asia (VSEA)
101 Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Kalimantan Tengah
102 WALHI Eknas
103 WALHI Jabar
104 WALHI Jakarta
105 WALHI Jambi
106 WALHI Jateng
107 WALHI Kalbar
108 WALHI Kaltim
109 WALHI Maluku Utara
110 WALHI NTB
111 WALHI Papua
112 WALHI Sulawesi Utara
113 WALHI Sulsel
114 WALHI Sulteng
115 WALHI Sumsel
116 WALHI Yogyakarta
117 Water Justice and Gender
118 World Rainforest Movement
119 Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
120 Yayasan Earthqualizer
121 Yayasan Genesis Bengkulu
122 Yayasan HAkA
123 Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI)
124 Yayasan Pelestari Lingkungan Hijau Kalimantan Utara
125 Yayasan Perlindungan Insani
126 Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat (PUSAKA)
127 Yayasan Satu Keadilan

 

 

This post is also available in: Indonesian

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