Internationalist Solidarity with Wadas

On 8 February 2022, Indonesian police and military personnel conducted a violent operation in Wadas village, Central Java, resulting in at least 63 arrests, including 13 children. The operation was intended to facilitate land measurement by the Purworejo Land Agency (BPN Purworejo) for a proposed andesite mine. The Wadas community has opposed the mine since 2018, citing the loss of productive agricultural land and risks to water springs and landslide prevention. Friends of the Earth International links this to a broader pattern of criminalisation in Indonesia, noting similar police violence against mining protests in Bengkulu and Central Sulawesi between December 2021 and February 2022.

• On 8 February 2022, approximately 250 police and military personnel entered Wadas village in Central Java, where they arrested at least 63 people, including 13 children, and used violence against residents and public advocates.
• The conflict stems from a 2018 government decision to designate 114 hectares for an andesite mining site to support the Bener dam, a plan legitimised by a location permit (IPL) issued by Governor Ganjar Pranowo.
• The Wadas community opposes the mine because the site is on productive agricultural hills that serve as a water catchment for 23 springs and prevent landslides.
• The violence in Wadas is part of a wider trend in Indonesia; WALHI recorded at least 182 residents criminalised while protecting land between 2021 and 2022, including police actions in Seluma Regency (December 2021) and Parigi Moutong Regency (February 2022), the latter of which resulted in 59 detentions and one death.

APA

Prak, C. (2022). Internationalist Solidarity with Wadas. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/internationalist-solidarity-with-wadas-indonesia/

Chicago

Prak, Caroline. Internationalist Solidarity with Wadas. Friends of the Earth International, 2022. https://www.foei.org/internationalist-solidarity-with-wadas-indonesia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Prak |first1=Caroline |title=Internationalist Solidarity with Wadas |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=9 March 2022 |url=https://www.foei.org/internationalist-solidarity-with-wadas-indonesia/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{prak2022internationalist, author = {Prak, Caroline}, title = {{Internationalist Solidarity with Wadas}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/internationalist-solidarity-with-wadas-indonesia/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }