Category Archives: READERS FORUM
You Sell the Land, You Sell Your Mother
We are the people of Bupul still have our own ancestral forests. We are still free to get our own foods in the forest, swamps and rivers. Now, it is really depend on ourselves to use the land or not in our own ways. If we not use it, we will lack of foods and desperate. Who are not lazy to go hunting, they would have enough foods. We should deeply thinking about it. Do not doing a fool. Just because of money, we sell our ancestral forests. We ourselves today will enjoying the moner but let our children and grandchidlren deseperate in the future. If we sell our land to the companies, it is means that we sell our own mother!
- Veronika Mekiuw, Villager of Bupul, District of Elikobel, Merauke.
Posted in Opinion, READERS FORUM
Tagged Bupul, culture, Elikobel, investment, land, Merauke
Leave a comment
Reject Palm-oil Company
In the Village of Bupul, there is a company came with a plan to clear forest for palm-oil estate. I am personally reject the plan. If the plan is to plant rubber trees, I would agreed. Palm-oil estate have proven bringing negative impacts, among others, excessively consuming waters and degrading natural springs. Other thing is the company will not permit us cultivate anything inside their plantation area. It was proven anywhere that such kind of companies always cheating local people. They always said something different with what they have actually did. They are working merely for their own benefits, not for the interests and advantages of local people.
- Pasifikus Anggojai, Villager of Bupul, District of Elikobel, Merauke.
Reject Companies for Our Children
I want to leave a note fot my chidlren and grandchildren. I will never welcome and receive any companies who come to my ancestral land. To welcome them, I think, is a kind of original sin that Adam and Eve have did before. For my daily livelihood, no problems. I can go to the forest anytime, hunting wallabies which enough to fully fill my stomach. Even there are always excess meat to sell for cash. If I sell my land, my children and grandchildren will suffering in the future since there are no more places for them to get their foods.
- Kanisius Wonijai, Villager of Bupul, District of Elikobel, Merauke.
Posted in Opinion, READERS FORUM
Tagged Bupul, Elikobel, investment, land dispute, Merauke
Leave a comment
Sell the Net, Received Grant, No Assistance
A fisherman of Payum drying his catches into salted-fishes (Photo: KIZITO HERU)
We are the fisherfolks of Payum Beach not sell our catches directly to the market. We sell them to middlemen who own the catching equipment that we used. Of course, the price lower than the common price in the market, about IDR 12,000 (USD 1.3) per string of fishes. Before, the Regency Office for Fishery have granted us with two set of fishing nets but we sell the nets for immediate cash which we are really need. The problem is there are no assistenace from the government to teach us on how fishing in better way and how to manage our catches and incomes. So, for longtime, there is no progress in out livelihood. We hope the government not only give equipments but also, more important, is education and training to improve our knowledge and skills.
- Amir Kaize, A Fisherman of Payum Beach, Merauke.
Posted in Opinion, READERS FORUM
Tagged livelihood, Merauke Kota, Payum, public services
Leave a comment
2011 © SKP-KAME, Merauke
Don’t Sell the Land!
Namik, nahisa, nahai anim, es anim, nahin, makan dimatab oleb. Mabateme, wanangga es hanid nanggo (Sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, don’t sell the land to the companies. Take care, the land is your own and your children and grandchildren in the future)!