Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment

While legal and policy frameworks are based on a clear distinction between public and private security actors and functions, the reality on the ground in Indonesia reveals that there is a high level of corporate capture of public security services, including the military and police, who often operat...

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Main Authors: White, Nigel D., Footer, Mary E., Senior, Kerry, Dorp, Mark van, Kiezebrink, Vincent, Wasi Gede Puraka, Y., Anzas, Ayudya
Format: Article
Published: Springer 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/52936/
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author White, Nigel D.
Footer, Mary E.
Senior, Kerry
Dorp, Mark van
Kiezebrink, Vincent
Wasi Gede Puraka, Y.
Anzas, Ayudya
author_facet White, Nigel D.
Footer, Mary E.
Senior, Kerry
Dorp, Mark van
Kiezebrink, Vincent
Wasi Gede Puraka, Y.
Anzas, Ayudya
author_sort White, Nigel D.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description While legal and policy frameworks are based on a clear distinction between public and private security actors and functions, the reality on the ground in Indonesia reveals that there is a high level of corporate capture of public security services, including the military and police, who often operate alongside private security companies (mainly local, though there is some evidence of an emerging international presence), and the security personnel of companies engaged in the natural resources industry. This has led to serious human rights violations of indigenous peoples and other local inhabitants, who often find themselves entangled in protracted conflicts with multinational companies over access to their land. Two case studies involving fieldwork in the logging and palm oil sectors in Sumatra reveal a pernicious and deliberate erosion and violation of rights of local inhabitants across the spectrum of security actors, showing that public security actors are protecting corporate interests rather than performing public functions. The implications of these findings are considered in terms of legal responsibilities as well as access to justice. The article reasons towards what are argued to be necessary legal and policy changes.
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spelling nottingham-529362020-05-04T19:46:18Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/52936/ Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment White, Nigel D. Footer, Mary E. Senior, Kerry Dorp, Mark van Kiezebrink, Vincent Wasi Gede Puraka, Y. Anzas, Ayudya While legal and policy frameworks are based on a clear distinction between public and private security actors and functions, the reality on the ground in Indonesia reveals that there is a high level of corporate capture of public security services, including the military and police, who often operate alongside private security companies (mainly local, though there is some evidence of an emerging international presence), and the security personnel of companies engaged in the natural resources industry. This has led to serious human rights violations of indigenous peoples and other local inhabitants, who often find themselves entangled in protracted conflicts with multinational companies over access to their land. Two case studies involving fieldwork in the logging and palm oil sectors in Sumatra reveal a pernicious and deliberate erosion and violation of rights of local inhabitants across the spectrum of security actors, showing that public security actors are protecting corporate interests rather than performing public functions. The implications of these findings are considered in terms of legal responsibilities as well as access to justice. The article reasons towards what are argued to be necessary legal and policy changes. Springer 2018-07-31 Article PeerReviewed White, Nigel D., Footer, Mary E., Senior, Kerry, Dorp, Mark van, Kiezebrink, Vincent, Wasi Gede Puraka, Y. and Anzas, Ayudya (2018) Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment. Netherlands International Law Review, 65 (2). pp. 217-252. ISSN 1741-6191 Accountability; Corporate capture; Corporate-community conflict; Human rights; Indonesia; Land rights; Logging; Private military and security companies; Natural resources industry; Palm oil; Public-private security; Responsibility https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40802-018-0107-8 doi:10.1007/s40802-018-0107-8 doi:10.1007/s40802-018-0107-8
spellingShingle Accountability; Corporate capture; Corporate-community conflict; Human rights; Indonesia; Land rights; Logging; Private military and security companies; Natural resources industry; Palm oil; Public-private security; Responsibility
White, Nigel D.
Footer, Mary E.
Senior, Kerry
Dorp, Mark van
Kiezebrink, Vincent
Wasi Gede Puraka, Y.
Anzas, Ayudya
Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title_full Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title_fullStr Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title_full_unstemmed Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title_short Blurring public and private security in Indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
title_sort blurring public and private security in indonesia: corporate interests and human rights in a fragile environment
topic Accountability; Corporate capture; Corporate-community conflict; Human rights; Indonesia; Land rights; Logging; Private military and security companies; Natural resources industry; Palm oil; Public-private security; Responsibility
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/52936/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/52936/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/52936/