Good News - Harvey Norman To Stop Selling Kwila After Protests

Submitted by From the IHRC e-group+AIMC (not verified) on 9 July 2008 - 2:52pm

Environment
Indigenous Struggles
Protest Activity
International

Over the past year the Auckland based, Indonesia Human Rights Committee (IHRC), has been campaigning to stop the sale of products made from kwila wood in New Zealand shops. Kwila wood is illegally plundered from the rain forests of West Papua by logging barons, working alongside the Indonesian Military. Indigenous West Papuans have been violently displaced from their lands and the habitats of many endangered animals have been destroyed. The IHRC have held pickets outside a number of stores stocking kwila around Auckland, including Harvey Norman. They also hosted the West Papuan environmentalist, Septer Manufandu, on a speaking tour of NZ last month to bring attention to the issue.

On June 16 Harvey Norman wrote to the IHRC to announce that they will no longer source 'any new Kwila products from any suppliers' and that they will 'cease all our sales of Kwila products 21 March 2009.'

Special thanks to all those who came along to the protests outside Harvey Norman and other stores. The struggle continues. Boycott Kwila!

Links: Lives Destroyed to Build Kiwi Backyard | Interview with West Papuan activist Septer Manufandu | Coverage of Harvey Norman Demo March 2008