The alleged British links to mass deforestation and displacement in a conflict few have even heard of
Experts from the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice have published a piece for The Conversation about their discovery that UK banks, energy giants and arms exporters are at the heart of human rights and environmental crises in West Papua.
The piece focuses on Samira Homerang Saunders and Professor David Whyte's new research that documents, for the first time, how the UK supplies arms and jungle warfare training to Indonesia, while major British corporations – from BP to Unilever – and financial institutions profit from mining, palm oil, gas or logging in the territory.
In the article they say: "These investments continue a legacy that began with Britain’s brief colonial presence in the 18th century and today links UK companies to an area that has seen mass deforestation, widespread displacement and allegations of torture and extrajudicial killing."
Read their full piece in The Conversation.
More information:
- Samira Homerang Saunders is a Researcher at the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice at Queen Mary University of London.
- David Whyte is Professor of Climate Justice and Director of the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice at Queen Mary University of London.