JAYAPURA, Weat Papua, The future of nature conservation water catchment areas in the Papuan cities of Jayapura and Sentani is under threat from rampant illegal logging.

4,330 people have illegally settled in the conservation areas -- known as Cycloop -- thanks to lax government control.
"These people have illegally felled trees and developed farming," Jayapura Regent Habel Melkias Suwae said. He said human settlement of the area was limiting its effectiveness as a water catchment.

‘My people urgently need the world’s help’ says Papuan tribal leader.

The Freeport Mine in West Papua – the biggest gold and copper mine in the world – is today in a state of chaos, as Indonesia soldiers reportedly use tear gas and live rounds to attack protesting tribal people. Reports from inside West Papua suggest that at least one person may have been killed.

Last month, West Papua made the news when a ‘lost valley’ containing numerous new species was discovered. This week, its people are suffering brutally – it needs to make the news again.

BP has a legal right to get a licence from Indonesia to extract gas in West Papua. Its moral case is less clearcut.

It all seems a very long way away. But what is happening in an obscure island nation in the south Pacific has now become our business. A few weeks ago BP, the British company that has invested most in "corporate social responsibility", received final approval to start developing a gas field in West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea.

My name is Lisa, and I'm writing on behalf of the Earthbound Gathering. I am glad to have encountered another group that is addressing such crucial issues as those of cultural survival. These issues are central to our gathering. Below is our letter of intent, describing the gathering, its origins and goals.
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