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Firm linked to Tory donors probed by UN over human rights allegations in Indonesia
A company closely linked to a family whose members have donated to the Conservatives and Better Together has faced scrutiny from the UN over allegations of land grabbing and human rights abuses in Indonesia.
Jardine Matheson - a Hong Kong-based firm with Scottish roots - was contacted last October by UN officials seeking "clarification" about allegations raised against another firm it ultimately controls, Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), which produces palm oil on the island of Sulawesi.
The UN's letter details accusations that AAL operates without necessary permits, and has failed to obtain consent to cultivate Indigenous communities' land. It also documented alleged intimidation of community activists by company employees.
In response to the allegations AAL says it is implementing a three-year action plan to address issues, developed alongside a third-party environmental consultancy. Jardine Matheson says it has full confidence in AAL's strategy and allegations against it are "unsubstantiated".
But while the UN officials wrote that they welcomed the plan and did not want to "prejudge" the accuracy of the accusations, they also noted allegations "keep being raised" against AAL. Jardine Matheson was warned that it may be failing to implement adequate due diligence measures to ensure it meets UN principles on business and human rights.
Jardine Matheson was founded in 1832 by Scots merchants William Jardine and James Matheson who built their wealth on the opium trade. The pair have been described by eminent historian William Dalrymple as the 1830s' "most ruthless and profitable drug runners".
The company has been controlled by the Keswick family - who married in through Jardine's niece - for five generations. Family members own land in Scotland and have donated to political organisations including the Conservatives, Better Together and VoteLeave.
In total members of the Keswick family have donated over £2m to political causes since 2001, according to Electoral Commission data. Beneficiaries included Boris Johnson and former Scottish leader and Dumfriesshire MP, David Mundell.
Scottish Tories handed nearly £100k by billionaire family behind tax haven firm
Many of the donations were given by former Jardine Matheson boss and Spectator owner Henry Keswick - who died in November 2024 just weeks after giving £30,000 to Robert Jenrick during the Tory leadership campaign. But other family members, including current Jardine Matheson board member Adam Keswick, are also donors.
Human rights campaigners have urged the Tories to "review" all further donations linked to Jardine Matheson until it has addressed the concerns about AAL.
The UN letter, sent on 9 October 2024, was addressed to "Mr Keswick". Ben Keswick has served as executive chairman of Jardine Matheson since 2019. The same letter was sent to AAL, as well as the Indonesian and Chinese governments.
Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, a commodity found in consumer products from chocolate to shampoo.
The expansion of the industry in the country - home to nearly 300 million people - has been accompanied by conflict over land between companies on one side and rural communities and Indigenous peoples on the other. There are estimated to be thousands of these land disputes active nationwide.
The UN letters outline "alleged violations", some dating back decades, many of which were sparked by disputes over land and whether AAL and its subsidiaries have required permits and consent to operate.
In the 2000s, one local AAL subsidiary is alleged to have taken over community land through the use of violence, including "indiscriminate shooting", with the help of the police. Another is accused of "uprooting crops and destroying tools" of indigenous farmers, having already cut down the crops they relied on for food without consent.
In a more recent instance, in December 2023 AAL employees allegedly visited two women human rights defenders and pushed them to sign a document stating t...
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A company closely linked to a family whose members have donated to the Conservatives and Better Together has faced scrutiny from the UN over allegations of land grabbing and human rights abuses in Indonesia.
Jardine Matheson - a Hong Kong-based firm with Scottish roots - was contacted last October by UN officials seeking "clarification" about allegations raised against another firm it ultimately controls, Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), which produces palm oil on the island of Sulawesi.
The UN's letter details accusations that AAL operates without necessary permits, and has failed to obtain consent to cultivate Indigenous communities' land. It also documented alleged intimidation of community activists by company employees.
In response to the allegations AAL says it is implementing a three-year action plan to address issues, developed alongside a third-party environmental consultancy. Jardine Matheson says it has full confidence in AAL's strategy and allegations against it are "unsubstantiated".
But while the UN officials wrote that they welcomed the plan and did not want to "prejudge" the accuracy of the accusations, they also noted allegations "keep being raised" against AAL. Jardine Matheson was warned that it may be failing to implement adequate due diligence measures to ensure it meets UN principles on business and human rights.
Jardine Matheson was founded in 1832 by Scots merchants William Jardine and James Matheson who built their wealth on the opium trade. The pair have been described by eminent historian William Dalrymple as the 1830s' "most ruthless and profitable drug runners".
The company has been controlled by the Keswick family - who married in through Jardine's niece - for five generations. Family members own land in Scotland and have donated to political organisations including the Conservatives, Better Together and VoteLeave.
In total members of the Keswick family have donated over £2m to political causes since 2001, according to Electoral Commission data. Beneficiaries included Boris Johnson and former Scottish leader and Dumfriesshire MP, David Mundell.
Scottish Tories handed nearly £100k by billionaire family behind tax haven firm
Many of the donations were given by former Jardine Matheson boss and Spectator owner Henry Keswick - who died in November 2024 just weeks after giving £30,000 to Robert Jenrick during the Tory leadership campaign. But other family members, including current Jardine Matheson board member Adam Keswick, are also donors.
Human rights campaigners have urged the Tories to "review" all further donations linked to Jardine Matheson until it has addressed the concerns about AAL.
The UN letter, sent on 9 October 2024, was addressed to "Mr Keswick". Ben Keswick has served as executive chairman of Jardine Matheson since 2019. The same letter was sent to AAL, as well as the Indonesian and Chinese governments.
Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, a commodity found in consumer products from chocolate to shampoo.
The expansion of the industry in the country - home to nearly 300 million people - has been accompanied by conflict over land between companies on one side and rural communities and Indigenous peoples on the other. There are estimated to be thousands of these land disputes active nationwide.
The UN letters outline "alleged violations", some dating back decades, many of which were sparked by disputes over land and whether AAL and its subsidiaries have required permits and consent to operate.
In the 2000s, one local AAL subsidiary is alleged to have taken over community land through the use of violence, including "indiscriminate shooting", with the help of the police. Another is accused of "uprooting crops and destroying tools" of indigenous farmers, having already cut down the crops they relied on for food without consent.
In a more recent instance, in December 2023 AAL employees allegedly visited two women human rights defenders and pushed them to sign a document stating t...