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Aleta Baun, the Indonesian Avatar Slug: Indonesia Aleta Reporter: Arin Swandari Date: 06/04/2012 INTRO Indonesias

Aleta aun was re!entl" awarded t#is "ears prestigious $old%an &ri'e( t#e top #onor )or grassroots en*iron%ental !a%paingers+ Aleta is an indigenous ,ollo )ro% Ti%or( an island in -astern Indonesia . ri!# in oil( gas( gold and %ar/le+ S#e won t#e award in re!ognition o) #er e))orts to #elp preser*e ,ollo !ulture and prote!t t#eir en*iron%ent+ S#e /e!a%e in*ol*ed in a!ti*is% as a response to %ar/le %ining in t#e %ountains near w#ere #er !o%%unit" li*es and )ar%s+ Arin Swandari %et ,a%a Aleta( t#e #ousewi)e0turned0a!ti*ist+

T-1T S21 in t#e 3it!#en Aleta aun is !oo3ing in t#e 3it!#en+ 4er 50"ear old daug#ter 6oins #er wit# a !ouple o) #er )riends+ A )ew "ears ago li)e wasnt so pea!e)ul+ Aleta was #iding in t#e )orest wit# #er t#ree !#ildren . #er daug#ter was onl" 2 "ears old t#en+ Aleta !lip 1 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9As a %ot#er( I )elt so sad and s!ared /e!ause I #ad to ta3e %" daug#ter to #ide in t#e )orest+ I was so sad: s#e s#ould #a*e /een at #o%e+; Aleta was protesting against %ining !o%panies t#at were destro"ing #er tri/es lands . and t#at %ade #er a target+ In 1<<6( two %ar/le %ining !o%panies !a%e to #er *illage and /egan to e=plore Nausus 4ill( t#e areas %ost sa!red %ountain+ It wasnt t#e )irst ti%e Aletas ,olo tri/e #ad en!ountered %ining !o%panies . t#e"d /een operating near/" sin!e t#e earl" 1<>0s+ Aleta !lip 2 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9Our *illage was destro"ed+ ?e lost our )orest( our water suppl" de!reased( and landslides #appened %ore )re@uentl" t#an e*er+ In 1<<<( I organised so%e et#ni! leaders to )ig#t along wit# %e+;

Aleta started a lo!al en*iron%ent %o*e%ent wit# t#e #elp o) t#ree ot#er people( and it slowl" gained support )ro% t#e tri/es !oun!il o) elders+ In t#e end( s#e !on*in!ed A00 people )ro% 12 %ore *illages to 6oin in+ One o) t#e% is et#ni! leader ?ilia%/ae Satu+ ?ilia%/ae !lip 1 7,ale( Indonesia8: 9-*er"one #ere #as a )ar% around t#e %ountain+ ?e dont want t#e en*iron%ent to /e destro"ed /e!ause+++ w#ere would we li*eB ?#at would we eatB; T#e tri/e sees ,ot#er Nature as si%ilar to t#e #u%an /od" . t#e trees are li3e #air and s3in( water is li3e /lood( soil li3e )les# and t#e stones are /ones+ T#e protest grew o*er se*eral "ears+ Aleta s#ows %e an old *ideo a/out t#e struggle( w#en s#e led a protest in )ront o) a lo!al go*ern%ent o))i!e+ S21 2 de%onstration 7C Aleta !lip A 72e%ale( Indonesia88: 9I% standing #ere now and I will not retreat+ I apologi'e to t#e #ead o) distri!t )or w#at I% doing+ ut loo3 at our en*iron%ent now+++ ?e will ne*er gi*e up our land+; ut t#e %ining !o%panies #it /a!3+ T#ugs !a%e to t#e *illage and t#reatened t#e protestors( and t#rew stones at Aletas #ouse+ S#e #ad to )lee #er #o%e and )a%il" and li*e in t#e )orest )or around )our %ont#s+ didnt stop #er wor3+ ut it

Aleta !lip 4 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9?e #ad to wal3 3ilo%etres to rea!# t#e ot#er *illages to !on*e" our %essage+ ?e #ad not#ing to eat+ ?e onl" ate w#en people ga*e so%et#ing )or us to eat+ It was reall" #ard+ ?e re!ei*ed a lot o) t#reats+; 4er struggle turned #er into t#e ,olo tri/es i!on in t#e )ig#t against t#e %iners . t#e" !all #er ,a%a Aleta+ 4er #us/and Di)tus Sana% /a!3ed #er along t#e wa"+ 4e guarded t#eir #ouse e*er" nig#t against %o/s sent to inti%idate t#e%+ Di)tus !lip 1 7,ale( Indonesia8: 9I didnt 3now w#o t#e" were( it was reall" dar3 outside+ 2or %ont#s( e*er" nig#t I #ad to wat!# %" #ouse !losel"+ I t#rew ro!3s at t#e%( and w#en t#e" #it %e( I )oug#t /a!3+; 4endri3 Ri#i is one o) Aletas /est )riends+ 4endri3 !lip 1 7,ale( Indonesia8: 9,an" people wanted Aletas #ead+ T#ere was one ti%e( w#en we were returning /a!3 to our *illage( we were atta!3ed+ ,a%a Aleta went to #ide in t#e )orest a)ter t#at+ One o) t#e atta!3ers said t#at Aleta was t#e target( t#at s#e %ust /e 3illed+; In 2006( Aleta )ounded t#e Attae%a%us Indigenous Organisation( w#i!# %eans Eto prote!t and restore in lo!al language+

4undreds o) indigenous !o%%unities #a*e 6oined t#e organisation( read" to )ig#t an"one w#o t#reatens t#e en*iron%ent t#at is t#eir #o%e+ T#eir protests !an /e uni@ue . t#e" dont 6ust sti!3 to de%onstrations+ In so%e o) t#eir %ost su!!ess)ul protests( t#e" 6ust did one o) t#e t#ings t#e" 3now /est: traditional wea*ing+ S21 wea*ing In 2006( #undreds o) wo%en o!!upied %ar/le %ining sites and wo*e t#eir traditional !lot#( w#ile t#eir %en stood guard+ T#e wea*ing o!!upations went on )or )our %ont#s( and )or!ed t#e %iners to stop t#eir wor3+ -lisa/et# Oe%atan was pregnant w#en s#e 6oined t#e protest+ -lisa/et# !lip 1 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9?e 6ust sat on lo!ation( wea*ing da" and nig#t+ T#en we %ar!#ed to t#e go*ernors o))i!e( de%anding t#e go*ern%ent wit#draw t#e %ining per%its+ ?ed /e!o%e *i!ti%s o) t#e %ar/le %ountain+ ?e said to t#e go*ern%ent( we dont want t#e !o%panies to return( we will guard our %ountain+; S21 de%onstration Two "ears ago( t#e" )inall" %anaged to t#row out )our o) t#e %ining !o%panies( and s#ut down )our %ines+ Aleta !lip F 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9?e won( and t#e %iners went #o%e+ ut t#e" still #old t#e %ining per%its( as t#e go*ern%ent #asnt ta3en t#ose /a!3+ ut t#e %ost i%portant t#ing is t#at t#e %iners #a*e le)t and are not a!ti*e #ere an"%ore+ ?e will sta" strong+ Gou !ant %ess around wit# our land+; 2i*e *illages in t#e area #a*e put toget#er a !o%%unal %ap to s#ow w#o owns w#at land . to !lai% t#eir rig#ts and pre*ent !o%panies destro"ing t#eir land again+ Two national %inisters( )or t#e -n*iron%ent and )or Regional De*elop%ent( !a%e to t#e *illages to endorse t#e %ap+ ut not all t#e da%age !an /e undone+ S21 singing song T#is song is !alled Naitapan Ro!3s . its a/out anot#er %ountain( w#i!# was %ined until it was destro"ed+ S21 applaus And ot#er struggles !ontinue+

At a re!ent %eeting( Aleta urged t#e near/" &u/a/u esipae tri/e to de)end t#eir land+ T#e lo!al go*ern%ent is !learing t#e )orest to %a3e wa" )or a )oreign0owned )ar%ing /usiness+ An oil !o%pan" is also !o%ing to t#e area+ Aleta !lip > 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9I) t#e !o%pan" !o%es( I will sta" #ere wit# "ou+ ?e %ust not /e a)raid+ ?ere not outsiders 0 we were /orn #ere( we grew up #ere( and our an!estors ga*e na%es )ro% nature to our land and *illages+ It will /e our )ault i) we let it /e destro"ed+; 200"ear old Dodiana Ha/a is a %e%/er o) Aletas organisation( and #as great ad%iration )or #er+ Dodiana !lip 1 72e%ale( Indonesia8: 9I /elie*e wo%en !an /ring pea!e+ ,a%a Aleta pro*ed to us t#at wo%en !an sol*e t#e !on)li!ts )a!ed /" our so!iet"+ I drea% o) /eing li3e #er one da"+; 2ro% Sout# Ientral Ti%or in Indonesia( t#is is Arin Swandari )or Asia Ialling+

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