Topic: Indonesia For Sale

The investigative series Indonesia for Sale shone a light on the corruption behind Indonesia’s deforestation and land rights crisis: in-depth stories exposing the role of collusion between palm oil firms and politicians in subverting Indonesia’s democracy.

The series was the product of two years’ reporting across the country, interviewing fixers, middlemen, lawyers and companies involved in land deals, and those most affected by them.

Indonesia for Sale was a collaboration between The Gecko Project and Mongabay. It also included a collaboration with Tempo, Indonesia’s leading investigative magazine.

Main Stories

Balancing nature, indigenous identity and development

An interview with anthropologist Chris Chancellor

For years firms that bribed Indonesian officials evaded justice. Could this be about to change?

Legal loopholes have made it difficult to prosecute companies involved in corruption scandals, until now.

How a quiet civil servant came to lead a powerful grassroots environmental movement

“Mika is an extraordinary fighter for the environment”

Indonesia’s best democratic instincts protected Aru's rainforests. Now it's democracy that needs saving.

How a grassroots fight for land rights connects to recent protests across Indonesia.

The indigenous people of Aru saved their rainforest from destruction. Here’s how.

Ten takeaways from “Saving Aru”

Saving Aru

The epic battle to save the islands that inspired the theory of evolution

What we learned from two years of investigating corrupt land deals in Indonesia

And what it says about how to fix the nation’s deforestation and land rights crisis.

How land grabbers weaponise indigenous ritual against Papuans

An interview with anthropologist Sophie Chao

A carbon bomb in Papua: 7 takeaways from our investigation

What you need to know from our groundbreaking investigation, The secret deal to destroy paradise

Does Indonesia’s storied anti-graft agency have a blind spot for corrupt land deals?

The KPK may yet have a chilling effect on companies' ability to operate with impunity across vast areas of unexploited rainforest.

The Bornean village chief dealing with the fallout from a corrupt plantation deal

After he was elected village head, Kardie discovered huge areas of his community's land had been ceded to investors.

‘North Sumatran land mafia offered me $21m to win election — then hand over control of government’

An exclusive interview with one of Indonesia’s foremost indigenous rights activists.

The priest investigating companies' take-over of indigenous peoples’ forests

Part of a series tracing the roots of Indonesia’s deforestation and land rights crises to corruption in the plantation sector.

How corrupt elections fuel the sell-off of Indonesia’s natural resources

There is every indication that permit selling in the agribusiness and extractive sectors is rife across Indonesia, even if the true extent remains hidden.

Ghosts in the Machine

The land deals behind the downfall of Indonesia’s top judge

It's time to confront Indonesian politicians' collusion with the palm oil industry

Our investigation reveals the deep connections between the palm oil industry and the corruption of Indonesian democracy.

Arkani, the Dayak known as Dragon Beard

“We gave him our trust, but in the end we were forgotten.”

The ‘provocateur’ who was jailed over a dispute with a palm oil firm

Budiardi stood for parliament to push back against companies acting with impunity

The farmer who fought back

James was at the vanguard of a backlash against Seruyan district chief Darwan Ali.

Introducing: Indonesia for Sale

An investigative series shining new light on the corruption behind Indonesia’s deforestation and land rights crisis.