Cultural diversity must be maintained: Expert<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government must preserve cultural diversity
\nand give greater recognition to the achievements of Indonesia's
\nindigenous people in sustainable development, a law professor
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Loekman Soetrisno of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University said
\nrespect for cultural diversity must be maintained in spite of the
\ndevelopment fueled trend toward uniformity.<\/p>\n
He was speaking a discussion at the Indonesian Environmental
\nForum (Walhi) on sustainable development and indigenous
\ncommunities.<\/p>\n
He said a Dayak tribe leader, Loir Botor Dingit of Bentian in
\neast Kalimantan, had recently achieved international recognition
\nfor his community's fight to maintain their traditional
\nsustainable land use practices.<\/p>\n
\"Irrigation is not the only agricultural technique recognized
\nhere and abroad,\" Loekman said.<\/p>\n
Dingit, a tribe leader since 1995, won the prestigious San
\nFrancisco-based Goldman Environmental Foundation Award on April
\n14, for his community's sustainable development achievements in
\nspite of shrinking lands.<\/p>\n
The award was founded in 1990. It honors six individuals from
\neach continent a year for their environmental preservation
\nachievements.<\/p>\n
\"The international community's respect for the earth is
\nrefreshing and timely given many Indonesian's focus on material
\nachievement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But Loekman said that Dingit should keep his tribe's knowledge
\nof the forest a sacred secret to prevent further exploitation of
\nthe Dayaks by large mining and timber companies.<\/p>\n
\"Environmental damage in the areas has affected the rivers
\nresulting in smaller fish catches and higher transport costs on
\ngoods like sugar, salted fish and gasoline,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Forest dwelling communities have little control because 1979
\nLaw no. 5 on Rural Government does not recognize tribal leaders.<\/p>\n
Walhi's director Emmy Hafild said a 1989 Business Law
\nrestricted indigenous tribes' access to their traditional forest
\nland.<\/p>\n
\"The forest is their livelihood,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Dingit, who also attended the discussion, said Walhi had
\nbrought the plight of the indigenous people and forest dweller's
\ncommunities to the public's attention.<\/p>\n
\"The public is now aware of the fight against the forest
\nlogging concessionaires owned by well-connected people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Walhi's director Emmy Hafild said concessionaires had to
\nchannel their products through timber and furniture associations
\nrun by timber tycoon Mohammad (Bob) Hasan.<\/p>\n
She said the Ministry of Forestry's 1993 internal report
\nshowed there were 94.3 million hectares of forest, but that 2.4
\nmillion hectares of forest had disappeared each year since 1982.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, activist and lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said the
\nparadigms of development were attempting to achieve uniformity in
\nthe villages at the expense of Indonesia's rich diversity.<\/p>\n
\"Social and development costs should be factored into the
\ncountry's development,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Focusing just on economic development is easy even under
\ncolonialism. Hong Kong prospered under British rule. But economic
\ndevelopment should not be our country's only development goal,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Emmy said the cost of fighting for environmental preservation
\nwas high. This was attested by the death of Nigerian activist
\nKen Sahoriwa, who was hanged, she said. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cultural-diversity-must-be-maintained-expert-1447893297",
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