Down with smugglers!<\/p>\n
The recent Asian-African Summit concluded successfully. The
\nhurly-burly of the golden jubilee commemoration of the Asia-
\nAfrica Conference may continue, but smugglers are operating like
\nit's business as usual. At least two coincidences occurred during
\nthe summit involving one of the summit members, China.<\/p>\n
First, Chinese textile products that have legally, but most
\nprobably illegally, been flooding the country's markets have the
\npotential to bankrupt Indonesia's textile manufacturers (and
\ncause 1.2 million textile workers to lose their jobs), as these
\nfabrics are sold for Rp 2,300 (24 US cents) per meter compared to
\nRp 7,000 per meter for local products.<\/p>\n
Chinese textile products now account for 60 percent to 70
\npercent of all textile products in the country's domestic market
\n(The Jakarta Post, April 21).<\/p>\n
Second, only recently, four ships laden with 60,000 to 80,000
\ncubic meters of illegally cut logs from Papua anchored in the
\nsouthern China port of Zhang Jia Gang, already adding to the nine
\nmillion cubic meters of illegally cut logs already smuggled into
\nChina. These particular Papuan logs, known as merbau, are sold by
\nlocals for Rp 100,000 (US$12) per cubic meter, but in China the
\nsmugglers may sell them for Rp 2.5 million ($270) per cubic meter
\n(Media Indonesia, April 25).<\/p>\n
The above two cases relate to the flood of illegal commodities
\ncoming into Indonesia and China. One is Chinese textile products
\nthat are threatening the Indonesian textile products, and the
\nother is illegally logged Indonesian timber enlivening China's
\nwood products. The difference is that both commodities are making
\nChina the winner and Indonesia the loser.<\/p>\n
The strategic partnership deal that was struck between China
\nand Indonesia recently to strengthen trade between the two
\ncountries again makes Indonesia the loser because all
\ncommodities, including logs entering China, are deemed legal (
\nPost, April 26).<\/p>\n
However, this must not weaken efforts by the government of
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to crack down on and crush the
\nsmugglers. The already launched Operasi Hutan Lestari II (an
\noperation to conserve the forests) must be stepped up to add to
\nthe already arrested Malaysian timber barons, the latest being
\nTie Sing Yew, April 24, in the West Kalimantan border town of
\nEntikong (Post, April 25).<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/down-with-smugglers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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