"Friends of the Earth groups denounce recent case of intimidation by Astra Agro Lestari, call for immediate de-escalation", 8 December 2023

...Friends of the Earth (FOE) groups strongly denounce the most recent instance of intimidation by Astra Agro Lestari (AAL) against community members who are calling for the return of their land taken by the company without consent. 

On December 4, staff and security agents from AAL – Indonesia’s second largest palm oil company – visited two women in Rio Mukti village in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, insisting they sign a letter stating there was no land conflict between AAL-subsidiary PT Lestari Tani Teladan (PT LTT) and local communities. 

The visit came two days after WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) shared a video featuring the two women speaking about the adverse impacts of AAL’s operations and calling for the return of communities’ lands. FOE groups are calling on all concerned parties, including Indonesian authorities, to intervene and de-escalate the situation immediately...