Papua: Co-optation of indigenous traditions for oil palm monocultures

Indigenous Papuans are seeing their forest being destroyed to be replaced by monoculture plantations. An interview by Mongabay news to anthropologist Sophie Chao evidenced the complex tensions between communities and the monoculture that is being imposed upon them. Cooptation and manipulation of their ritual traditions is a common tool used by land grabbers. Read the interview in English here and also see the latest release from the Gecko Project and Mongabay showing the opaque deals for one of the biggest projects on oil palm plantation expansion in Indonesia