Papua court ruling a win for local government, Indigenous groups against palm oil

JAKARTA — A court in Indonesia has rejected a bid by two palm oil companies to have their permits restored after they were scrapped by local authorities for a litany of violations. For the Indigenous peoples whose territory fell within the companies’ concessions, the ruling offers a rare chance to finally have their land rights officially recognized. On Dec. 7, state administrative court in Jayapura, Papua province, dismissed the lawsuits filed by PT Papua Lestari Abadi (PLA) and PT Sorong Agro Sawitindo (SAS) against the decision made by the district government of Sorong in West Papua provinc…

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