Thread: Leonardo DiCaprio faces ban from Indonesia

Leonardo DiCaprio faces ban from Indonesia over Instagram comments

The actor expressed concern about the country’s palm oil plantations in a series of posts on Instagram, drawing ire from the Indonesian government.

By: Niniek Karmini The Associated Press, Published on Sat Apr 02 2016

JAKARTA, INDONESIA—Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio may be banned from returning to Indonesia over his criticisms that palm oil plantations are destroying the country’s rainforests and endangering wildlife, an immigration official said Saturday.

The Oscar winner made a one-day visit to protected Mount Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra last weekend and uploaded photos to his Instagram account, expressing concerns over species whose habitats are threatened.

“The expansion of palm oil plantations is fragmenting the forest and cutting off key elephant migration corridors,” he posted. “A world-class biodiversity hotspot, but palm oil expansion is destroying this unique place.”

Heru Santoso, the spokesman for the Directorate General for Immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, said that DiCaprio used his visit to discredit the palm oil industry and the Indonesian government.
“We support his concern to save the Leuser ecosystem,” Santoso said. “But we can blacklist him from returning to Indonesia at any time if he keeps posting incitement or provocative statements in his social media.”
Slash-and-burn practices destroy huge areas of Indonesian forest every year during the dry season, creating haze that pollutes neighbouring countries and causes massive economic losses as well as contributing to Indonesia’s carbon dioxide emissions. The fires are often set to clear land for agriculture, including palm oil plantations.

Santoso said companies and organizations that objected to DiCaprio’s comments have the right to request that immigration authorities bar him from reentering Indonesia, though none have done so yet.
He said DiCaprio entered and left Indonesia legally with a proper visa and immigration documentation. DiCaprio and his entourage arrived on a private jet at Kualanamu Airport on the island of Sumatra on Mar. 26, and the group took a helicopter to the protected park, and left the island a day later.

DiCaprio is not the first Hollywood star to anger Indonesia’s government with criticism of how it treats the environment.

Harrison Ford, known for his starring roles in the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, has visited several national parks and caused a stir by interviewing activists, businesspeople and government officials.


Leonardo DiCaprio faces ban from Indonesia over Instagram comments | Toronto Star

When one goes to Malaysia all one can see is fields full of palm oil trees.

They have devastated their forests for the oil as well.

Asia init.

The level of corruption in Indonesia seems to be far greater than in Thailand. All the high officials are rich, together with their families.....due to logging and other concessions. I refuse to go there.

Originally Posted by Latindancer

I refuse to go there.

That'll teach them.

One day there and he has an opinion. Twat!

Originally Posted by Latindancer

I refuse to go there.

I would say then, that is your loss. Indonesia is a very nice place.

A least he gave "Forest" a voice.

Originally Posted by terry57

When one goes to Malaysia all one can see is fields full of palm oil trees.

They have devastated their forests for the oil as well.

Asia init.

....and others [who are the champs at denuding the earth].

Palm trees are beautiful, and prolific.

It's great that palm tree plantations are spreading.

It's a kind of work that allows iliterate uneducated people to make an honest living.

God bless the workers.
God bless the owners who pay them.

Originally Posted by HermantheGerman

Heru Santoso, the spokesman for the Directorate General for Immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, said that DiCaprio used his visit to discredit the palm oil industry and the Indonesian government.
“We support his concern to save the Leuser ecosystem,” Santoso said. “But we can blacklist him from returning to Indonesia at any time if he keeps posting incitement or provocative statements in his social media.”

Santoso said companies and organizations that objected to DiCaprio’s comments have the right to request that immigration authorities bar him from reentering Indonesia, though none have done so yet.
He said DiCaprio entered and left Indonesia legally with a proper visa and immigration documentation.


Leonardo DiCaprio faces ban from Indonesia over Instagram comments | Toronto Star

This Santoso sounds like a bit of a twat.

yet he was willing to dig up the 'beaches' for his film in thailand

He didn't dig anything, maybe Danny Boyle did... Anyway can't compare this localised issue to palm plantation spreading in large areas... In Indonesia and Thailand it's reducing environmental diversity, maybe it's because we see theses areas as "green" that many see it as unharmful ...

Originally Posted by Jester

Palm trees are beautiful, and prolific.

It's great that palm tree plantations are spreading.

It's a kind of work that allows iliterate uneducated people to make an honest living.

God bless the workers.
God bless the owners who pay them.

God bless the corporations who take the land owned by indigenous peoples for their own financial benefit.

God bless child labour, ain't shit going on in the jungle anyhow.