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Urgent: Major Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS to finance Indonesian rainforest destruction
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Why This Is Important
Urgent: Major Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS to finance further Indonesian rainforest destruction
Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) is the largest listed palm oil company in the world and currently produces 10 percent of Indonesia's palm oil. The rainforest destroying giant plans massive further expansion on the islands of Indonesia Kalimantan (Borneo) and in the province of Papua on the Western half of the island of New Guinea .
A further 1.3 million hectares of land are to be developed for palm oil plantations financed by the Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS. Clearly their funding for industrial conversion for oil palm and logging of the last of Indonesia's primary rainforests is not a good investment and must be protested against until it ends
(Start: 07.07.2009)
http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433
Indonesia is in the process of sacrificing its great island kingdom‘s most important treasures — the last of its unique rainforests — for more toxic palm oil monocultures on stolen lands. Those responsible for this terrible policy include the Indonesian government, multinational corporations and banks; and sadly us, the European people. German and European thirst for palm oil to make agrofuel to feed our automobiles is driving the whole process of destruction. Indeed, we are filling our tanks at the expense of the livelihoods of Indonesia‘s indigenous peoples, plants and wildlife. And our appetite for rainforests and agrofuel threatens to destroy the entire world‘s shared climate.
Rainforest Rescue staff has clearly seen and felt the changes of climate and ecology during our Indonesian field visits. In the vast palm oil plantations in Kalimantan, the air is stifling and oppressive, dusty and stinky. Amidst this biological desert the Dayak people of Tanah putih desperately try to survive. Only later, in Sumatra, could we breathe a sigh of relief. In the west of the province of Jambi, intact rainforests in all shades of green, rich with rain and life, fall like a thick carpet over the mountains. Our partner organization Wahli has fought for this forest and shown us just how precious it is. Are we going to allow European organized investment in the destruction of this life giving rainforest?
In recent years, seven million hectares of rainforests and peat bogs have been sacrificed for palm-oil plantations. And the government plans to further expand these toxic monocultures by a further 20 million hectares. To do so successfully, they will need to attract foreign investors through such banks as Credit Suisse and UBS, which sadly have become some of the largest sources of funding for deforestation of rainforests for oil palm. Golden Agri-Resources is the holding company of Indonesia‘s infamous-Sinar Mas Group in Indonesia. They have repeatedly demonstrated they will stop at nothing — using land grabs, human rights violations, and corruption — to achieve their goal of replacing rainforests with palm-oil.
Yet we have also experienced the courage of many small farmers, such as those in the village of Karang Mendapo in Sumatra. There more than a hundred farmers and human rights activists gathered, as Muhammad Rusdi, their mayor and strong environmentalist, was brought to trial in a prison wagon. Karang Mendapo is the victim of a conspiracy by Sinar Mas that seeks to silence him. Rusdi has repeatedly, bravely led peasants in protest against land grabs by the palm oil group.
Rusdi has been behind bars since January, and the verdict will be read on July 11th. Thankfully, Rusdi finally had access to representation by good lawyers, provided by Rainforest Rescue, made possible by your ongoing donations to save Indonesia‘s rainforests.
In the pursuit of endless profit, neither Credit Suisse nor UBS adequately examine the impact of their activities upon people and the environment. High-risk companies such as Indonesian palm oil and paper industry members place investors at a high risk of liability for social and ecological harm, including future climate change.
Credit Suisse has already financed much of the Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) company‘s activities, another subsidiary of Sinar Mas. APP is not only responsible for continuing large-scale forest destruction, but its unscrupulous activities caused one of the largest bankruptcies in Asia in 2001. Please express your opposition to UBS, Credit Suisse and the palm oil company Golden Agri- Resources’ planned capital increase and expansion. Join our protest, and ask these leading banks to immediately discontinue the sale of shares of Golden Agri Resources’ rainforest destruction
http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433
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Urgent: Major Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS to finance Indonesian rainforest destruction
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<p>Urgent: Major Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS to finance further Indonesian rainforest destruction</p>
<p>Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) is the largest listed palm oil company in the world and currently produces 10 percent of Indonesia's palm oil. The rainforest destroying giant plans massive further expansion on the islands of Indonesia Kalimantan (Borneo) and in the province of Papua on the Western half of the island of New Guinea .</p>
<p>A further 1.3 million hectares of land are to be developed for palm oil plantations financed by the Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS. Clearly their funding for industrial conversion for oil palm and logging of the last of Indonesia's primary rainforests is not a good investment and must be protested against until it ends<br />(Start: 07.07.2009)</p>
<p><a href='http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433'>http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433</a></p>
<p>Indonesia is in the process of sacrificing its great island kingdom‘s most important treasures — the last of its unique rainforests — for more toxic palm oil monocultures on stolen lands. Those responsible for this terrible policy include the Indonesian government, multinational corporations and banks; and sadly us, the European people. German and European thirst for palm oil to make agrofuel to feed our automobiles is driving the whole process of destruction. Indeed, we are filling our tanks at the expense of the livelihoods of Indonesia‘s indigenous peoples, plants and wildlife. And our appetite for rainforests and agrofuel threatens to destroy the entire world‘s shared climate.</p>
<p>Rainforest Rescue staff has clearly seen and felt the changes of climate and ecology during our Indonesian field visits. In the vast palm oil plantations in Kalimantan, the air is stifling and oppressive, dusty and stinky. Amidst this biological desert the Dayak people of Tanah putih desperately try to survive. Only later, in Sumatra, could we breathe a sigh of relief. In the west of the province of Jambi, intact rainforests in all shades of green, rich with rain and life, fall like a thick carpet over the mountains. Our partner organization Wahli has fought for this forest and shown us just how precious it is. Are we going to allow European organized investment in the destruction of this life giving rainforest?</p>
<p>In recent years, seven million hectares of rainforests and peat bogs have been sacrificed for palm-oil plantations. And the government plans to further expand these toxic monocultures by a further 20 million hectares. To do so successfully, they will need to attract foreign investors through such banks as Credit Suisse and UBS, which sadly have become some of the largest sources of funding for deforestation of rainforests for oil palm. Golden Agri-Resources is the holding company of Indonesia‘s infamous-Sinar Mas Group in Indonesia. They have repeatedly demonstrated they will stop at nothing — using land grabs, human rights violations, and corruption — to achieve their goal of replacing rainforests with palm-oil.</p>
<p>Yet we have also experienced the courage of many small farmers, such as those in the village of Karang Mendapo in Sumatra. There more than a hundred farmers and human rights activists gathered, as Muhammad Rusdi, their mayor and strong environmentalist, was brought to trial in a prison wagon. Karang Mendapo is the victim of a conspiracy by Sinar Mas that seeks to silence him. Rusdi has repeatedly, bravely led peasants in protest against land grabs by the palm oil group.</p>
<p>Rusdi has been behind bars since January, and the verdict will be read on July 11th. Thankfully, Rusdi finally had access to representation by good lawyers, provided by Rainforest Rescue, made possible by your ongoing donations to save Indonesia‘s rainforests.</p>
<p>In the pursuit of endless profit, neither Credit Suisse nor UBS adequately examine the impact of their activities upon people and the environment. High-risk companies such as Indonesian palm oil and paper industry members place investors at a high risk of liability for social and ecological harm, including future climate change.</p>
<p>Credit Suisse has already financed much of the Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) company‘s activities, another subsidiary of Sinar Mas. APP is not only responsible for continuing large-scale forest destruction, but its unscrupulous activities caused one of the largest bankruptcies in Asia in 2001. Please express your opposition to UBS, Credit Suisse and the palm oil company Golden Agri- Resources’ planned capital increase and expansion. Join our protest, and ask these leading banks to immediately discontinue the sale of shares of Golden Agri Resources’ rainforest destruction</p>
<p><a href='http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433'>http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=433</a></p>
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