British TV bans MPI forestry ad<\/p>\n
In response to your article about the British TV body
\nsuspending the forestry commercial paid for and produced by the
\nIndonesian Forestry Community (MPI), published on Aug. 15, 1994.<\/p>\n
The executive president of Association of Indonesian Wood
\nPanel Producers, A. Tjipto Wignjoprajitno, said that our protests
\nagainst the advertisement were "made out of ignorance" because,
\nhe implied, we did not realize that clear cutting was legally
\nallowed in Indonesia, in convertible forests.<\/p>\n
The MPI ad however made the blanket claim that clear cutting
\nis not allowed in Indonesia. Why did they make this claim? Could
\nit be that Bob Hasan and the MPI are the ones ignorant of RI
\nforestry regulations?<\/p>\n
It was our very appreciation of the fact that RI legally
\nallowed clear cutting in certain circumstances which made it very
\nsimple for us to provide the Independent Television Commission
\n(ITC) with evidence to counter the claims made by the MPI ad.<\/p>\n
On another point, I was extremely disappointed to read that
\nPak Tjipto ascribes all the blame for illegal logging to the
\n"500,000 families of farmers throughout the country who depend on
\nthe slash and burning method".<\/p>\n
It has been estimated by Bob Hasan that US$3.5 billion in
\ngovernment revenue is lost each year through illegal logging. How
\ncan 500,000 families who probably don't own a single chain saw
\naccount for this?<\/p>\n
What about companies like Indah Kiat, which have been recently
\nfined for illegal logging? What about PT Kalhold Utama, one of
\nBob Hasan's own companies, that clear cut a highly productive
\nforest (and therefore does not fulfill RI regulations for clear
\ncutting), which has since been proven to belong to the Bentian
\nDayaks of Jelmu Sibak?<\/p>\n
When such glaring and highly pertinent omissions of fact are
\nmade by the Indonesian timber industry, how can we be expected to
\ntake anything they say seriously? And if they do not wish "us
\nWesterners" to have an opinion on the condition of Indonesia's
\nrain forests, why do they choose to pay such huge amounts of
\nmoney to invade our living rooms with this ad?<\/p>\n
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to make it
\nclear that, contrary to the statement made by Pak Tjipto, the ITC
\ntook the decision to permanently withdraw the ad as from Aug. 13,
\n1994.<\/p>\n
TERRY BROOKES<\/p>\n
Project Coordinator<\/p>\n
Down to Earth<\/p>\n
London<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/british-tv-bans-mpi-forestry-ad-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }