Adi, a crusader for Mount Leuser<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
\"I hated illegal logging the most,\" was the swift response of Adi
\nSusmianto when asked to nominate the most difficult challenge he
\nhad faced as director of the Mount Leuser National Park, Langkat
\nregency, here. Adi was the director of the park between 1999 and
\n2001 and is currently the conservation director of the Ministry
\nof Forestry's regional and forest conservation directorate
\ngeneral.
\n He said that keeping the national park free of illegal logging
\nhad been problematic, as such activities were often backed by
\npowerful people in the community.<\/p>\n
The Mount Leuser National Park is home to old trees worth
\nbillions of rupiah as timber. There are 20 percent less trees
\ngrowing on the 950,000 hectares of land as the result of illegal
\nlogging. A flash flood in the area last week claimed hundreds of
\nlives.<\/p>\n
\"It is true that those involved in illegal logging come from
\nthe military, police or government, or are councillors. It is
\nvery true,\" the 46-year-old man admitted to The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Adi said that illegal logging networks always consist of
\nfinanciers -- usually the owners of timber companies, known as
\ncukong -- government officials or councillors who back up the
\nillegal activities, known as oknum; and local loggers who sell
\nthe timber to the companies.<\/p>\n
\"It's possible for the national park to face the illegal
\nloggers. But, I found it very difficult since I doubted the
\ncommitment of my fellow security officers, government officials
\nor non-governmental organizations to fight against illegal
\nlogging,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Adi often conducted raids to halt the illegal logging, but
\nwith less than 100 poorly equipped park rangers at hand, outside
\nhelp was needed.<\/p>\n
The raids were usually assisted by the police, the military,
\nnon-governmental officials and the local administration.<\/p>\n
\"Our raids often failed as the plan was leaked to the illegal
\nloggers,\" said the soft-spoken man.<\/p>\n
In some cases, illegal loggers were caught red-handed with
\nhard evidence, such as chain saws or bulldozers, usually
\nbelonging to privately owned timber companies.<\/p>\n
However, Adi lamented, the suspects, particularly those who
\nfinanced the illegal logging, had mostly managed to evade
\njustice.<\/p>\n
\"Occasionally, the police released the suspects without a
\nclear explanation. Even if such cases were brought to court, the
\nsuspects were usually handed down a lenient sentence,\" he added.<\/p>\n
But he was not deterred and courageously tried to persecute a
\nlocal businessman allegedly involved in illegal logging with
\nlinks to the local military, police and government officials as
\nwell as councillors.<\/p>\n
\"With his money, he may have many protectors. But I also have
\na lot of friends,\" Adi said, confidently, adding that some
\nmilitary and police personnel and government and non-governmental
\norganizations supported him in protecting the national park.<\/p>\n
Several activists of non-governmental environmental
\norganizations in North Sumatra and Aceh identified Adi as an
\nofficial who played an active role in the park's protection.<\/p>\n
\"He is a brave man. He has the nerve to face illegal loggers.
\nHe has done his best,\" an activist in the North Sumatra capital
\nof Medan commented.<\/p>\n
The opposition of local residents is nothing new to Adi, who
\nwas born and grew up in the East Java town of Bondowoso.<\/p>\n
\"Illegal loggers use local residents to band against us. This
\nis understandable, they are persuaded that the national park is
\ndepriving them of their only source of income,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The local administration also thinks we are against
\ndevelopment because we always oppose plans to build roads or
\nbuildings inside the park,\" said Adi, who joined the Ministry of
\nForestry in 1981.<\/p>\n
In fact, when Adi had attempted to move the tourism trail
\nnearby the Bahorok river to a location several kilometers away,
\nresidents of the Bukit Lawang resort had staged a rally.
\nThe Langkat regency also reportedly rejected the plan.<\/p>\n
\"We should learn from the disaster, the laws of nature cannot
\nbe tampered with,\" Adi said.<\/p>\n
Another difficulty faced by Adi and the national park was the
\nillegal occupation of national park land by local residents.<\/p>\n
\"Local developers influence residents to claim the national
\npark land as theirs. They set up hundreds of houses, mostly in
\nthe national park areas located in North Sumatra,\" said Adi.<\/p>\n
He believes that the government should play a more active role
\nin assisting local people to improve their welfare by preserving
\nthe forest rather than exploiting it.<\/p>\n
\"A moratorium should be issued to stop logging in natural
\nforests. There is no other way to save our forests,\" said Adi,
\nwho completed his studies in forestry at the Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture.<\/p>\n
Adi, who was also the former head of the Mount Halimun
\nNational Park in West Java, often visits the Mount Leuser park in
\nhis spare time with his wife and his daughter.<\/p>\n
\"I love to observe nature. I think future generations have the
\nright to enjoy it also. We have no right to destroy it,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/adi-a-crusader-for-mount-leuser-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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