171 CSOs from 40 Countries Call on Japanese Government to Stop its Public Finance for Cirebon and Indramayu Coal Plants in West Java, Indonesia
20 May 2018
On May 18, an international petition signed by 171 CSOs from 40 countries was submitted to Japanese government, calling on Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) not to provide their public finance anymore for the expansion of Cirebon coal-fired power plant (1,000 MW) and the expansion of Indramayu coal-fired power plant (1,000 MW), both located in West Java, Indonesia.
The international petition was handed to Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), JBIC, and JICA by three (3) lndonesian CSOs’ staffs, including WALHI (FoE Indonesia), who came over to Tokyo during May 15 to 18. They have supported the local communities who are opposing the Cirebon and Indramayu coal plant projects.
Each community from Cirebon and Indramayu is concerned about the impact on their livelihood and health. They are demanding the stop of both projects in various ways, including protest actions and lawsuits, despite serious human rights violations against them.
Despite the verdicts of the district court in favor of both communities last year, their struggles through litigation are still continuing. The Cirebon community has just made an appeal to the High Court, after the district court rejected their demand or the cancellation of the 2nd environmental permit, which was issued without the awareness of the local community, this May. The Indramayu community has also just made an appeal to the Supreme Court, after the rejection of their demand in the High Court in April 2018.
In the petition, the international CSOs show their strong support for the Indonesian community in Cirebon and Indramayu, who have never given up opposing the projects, and call on the Japanese government to respect the community’s opinion and not to provide the public finance anymore for both projects. In addition, such Japanese continuous finance for coal projects undermines global efforts to dramatically decrease carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. Thus, the petition warns that Japan will likely face more severe international criticism.
During May 15 to 18, a couple of staffs from WALHI and a lawyer, who came over to Japan, explained the local situations and the progress of the communities’ lawsuits in the various occasions as below: a press conference, a seminar in the parliament building, a public seminar, a protest action in front of JBIC, and each meeting with MoF, MoFA, JBIC and JICA. They strongly requested that the Japanese government immediately stop its support for the coal projects which the local communities don’t want.
Read more and view photos at: www.foejapan.org/en/aid/180518.html
The full text of the petition can be downloaded:
- in English www.foejapan.org/aid/jbic02/cirebon/pdf/180518_e.pdf
- in Japanese www.foejapan.org/aid/jbic02/cirebon/pdf/180518.pdf
More information please visit FoE Japan (Friends of the Earth, Japan)
