On the backgrounds
Sungai Beruang
Dec 6, 2011
For many generations, the indigenous people of Sumatra have been living in the rainforest. They have made use of it, benefited from it, and they preserved it in order to secure their children’s future. But then, the trees were cut down, a plantation was built and oil palms were planted – all for the sake of palm oil that is contained in our candles, our packet soups and our detergents.
The devastated village
For many generations, the indigenous people of Sumatra have been living in the rainforest. They have made use of it, benefited from it, and they preserved it in order to secure their children’s future. But then, the trees were cut down, a plantation was built and oil palms were planted – all for the sake of palm oil that is contained in our candles, our packet soups and our detergents.
The inhabitants of Sungai Buayan are trying to survive amidst a giant desert of oil palm trees ever since. They cannot leave the territory which is the land of their ancestors – a fact they can prove by means of documents.
Then in August, three indigenous villages were completely destroyed, and armoured police brigades forcibly drove the residents away – by order of the world’s biggest palm oil company Wilmar.
Now, eight people from Sumatra and Borneo are coming to Germany. They demand the companies to return their land to them. Their request addressed to the consumers: Don’t buy products containing palm oil, because palm oil destroys our forest!
