Topic: Rights and Freedoms

The mining, plantation and forestry sectors routinely violate the rights and freedoms of marginalised people. Indigenous people are dispossessed of their ancestral lands. Forests and farmland are cleared, undermining food security. Industrial facilities pour heavy metals into waterways, denying villagers access to clean water. Workers toil in smelters in hazardous conditions.

Whether investigating food estates in Papua or Mennonite colonies in Bolivia, we uncover how these abuses happen—and who is responsible. Through our reporting, we aim not just to expose injustice, but to identify and communicate solutions that will protect rights and freedoms.

Main Stories

Major brands bought palm oil from plantation rife with modern slavery and torture

Tricked into captivity in a “drug rehabilitation” facility, victims faced forced labour and death

‘Potentially lethal’ police assault on indigenous Papuan was caught on camera

Fresh questions raised in case of Marius Betera, who died around two hours after he was allegedly assaulted by a police officer.

Related Articles

Fear and Raiders in Papua

How thousands of Indonesian soldiers are forcing through a vast agricultural project in indigenous lands and forests

The dark side of Indonesia’s green metals obsession

Watch the short video based on our investigation into Indonesia's nickel industry

Dust Money

Indonesia is in the middle of a massive rush for nickel, a metal that is vital to the green economy. Years into the boom, the costs of its obsession with the mineral are mounting.

‘Turning fear into strength’: One woman’s struggle for justice in Sulawesi

Eva Bande was jailed for her role as a community organiser in the Indonesian island. Ten years on, her fight continues.

The battle for the mountains of Mollo

When miners descended on sacred sites in eastern Indonesia, indigenous women occupied them in protest.

The women of Kendeng set their feet in cement to stop a mine in their lands. This is their story.

Part one of a series on Indonesia’s women land defenders.

Balancing nature, indigenous identity and development

An interview with anthropologist Chris Chancellor

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

“Mika is an extraordinary fighter for the environment”