Kappen van oerbos voor de aanleg van een rubberplantage van de Deli Maatschappij bij Soengei Tassik op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph captures the deforestation of a Sumatran rainforest for a rubber plantation, undertaken by the Deli Company. Though the photographer is anonymous, the image speaks volumes about the colonial exploitation of land and labor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It invites us to reflect on the profound environmental and social impacts of colonialism, and how land was transformed from a communal resource into a commodity. The establishment of plantations like these was built on the displacement of Indigenous communities and the exploitation of indentured laborers. The destruction of the forest symbolizes the erasure of traditional ways of life and the imposition of a capitalist system that prioritized profit over sustainability and human dignity. It’s a sobering reminder of the intertwined histories of colonialism, environmental degradation, and social injustice, urging us to consider the legacies that continue to shape our world today.