The Dispossessed Indigenous Paradise
The visual investigation that recounts about daily life of indigenous with palm oil plantation in Papua, Indonesia which requires them to have new behaviours of living from one vulnerability to other vulnerability, without choices.
A palm oil corporation in Boven Digul and Merauke regency, Papua, Indonesia pushes indigenous Papuan community, the owner of customary rights, to be cheap laborers. They often must owe groceries in the cooperation managed by the company. Their debts will be paid when they receive wages in the following month. The amount of their wages is not enough to cover their necessities in a month. The impact is there always new debts every month.
Palm oil has destroyed the food and water resources for indigenous Papuan communities live in those areas which depends to the forest for living.
Before the forest was converted into oil palm plantations, there were prey animals such as walabi (kangaroo), cuscus, cassowary, and wild boar. But now, it is hard to find any of them. Water fauna like fish, lizard, crocodile, and tortoise are contaminated by pesticides and palm oil factory waste. The sago trees left in the palm oil plantation areas are slowly dry because palm oil is greedy for water. It is hard to find vegetables, fruits and nuts become rare in the forest.
The lost of access and resources to food for indigenous Papuan community has changed their well-being and prosperity they possess since their ancestors. One of the worst impacts is the malnourished indigenous children.
This investigative project is an assignment from The Gecko Project.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Tina Dompram, 34, works as a laborer in a palm oil company, because his husband's wages are not enough to support her family.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Rap Megabon, 30, works as a laborer in a palm oil company, because his husband's wages are not enough to support her family.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Maliyaki Mahuze, 5, suffers from malnutrition. He was treated several times at the health service in their village. The number of cases of malnutrition in children has increased in deforested areas.