Oil campaign

Indonesian NGOs are setting up a major new campaign against the expansion of large-scale oil palm plantations in their country. They see the IMF as partly to blame, as its US$41 billion rescue package was conditioned on opening the economy to foreign investment and encouraging commodity exports. The effects on peoples’ lands and livelihoods appear to have been ignored. Indonesian groups will raise awareness of the World Bank and IMF involvement in the sector and the social, environmental and legal aspects of the plantation economy. International groups may be asked to support by sending letters to the IMF/WB.