Government tries to control transmigrants' activities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is trying to control the
\nactivities of Javanese farmers who resettle in the forests of
\nIndonesia's outer islands, to ensure that they will not disturb
\nthe ecological balance, according to a senior official.<\/p>\n
The ministry of transmigration's Director General for Housing
\nand Environment, H.J. Widarbo, said yesterday that the number of
\nthese transmigrants, more commonly known as "spontaneous
\nmigrants", has been increasing over the last few years.<\/p>\n
"They are beyond our reach and therefore their actions, which
\nare often damaging to the environment, are uncontrollable," he
\nsaid during a hearing with the House of Representatives'
\nCommission IV, which oversees transmigration affairs.<\/p>\n
Widarbo said the migrants not only damage the forests they
\nmove into, but also over-exploit the newly-cleared land,
\nrendering it unproductive.<\/p>\n
"While we are trying to increase the number of these migrants,
\nwe also want to see to it that they will not do harm to the
\nenvironment in their new homes," he said.<\/p>\n
The environmental and social problems caused by such migrants
\nhave been widely encountered in Lampung, South Sumatra, where the
\nresettlers occupy state land.<\/p>\n
This month, the Lampung authorities mobilized dozens of forest
\nrangers, reinforced by 17 tamed elephants, to uproot coffee
\nbushes planted by settlers on more than 1,000 hectares of state
\nland.<\/p>\n
Widarbo said that while the number of spontaneous migrants had
\nincreased, the government-sponsored transmigration program had
\nfound it difficult to reach its target.<\/p>\n
"Many of those intending to voluntarily transmigrate still
\nneed the government's help," Widarbo said. He added that the
\ngovernment often found it difficult to obtain suitable sites.<\/p>\n
Ideal sites, he said, should have adequate infrastructure and
\nfacilities, and clear land ownership -- which also meant, he
\nsaid, that the land should not be part of a nature reserve, a
\nprotected forest or designated for some other purpose by the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
The site should also be productive, capable of providing
\nopportunities for employment, and should have access to clean
\nwater, he added.<\/p>\n
Widarbo said that for the fiscal year 1995-1996, the
\ngovernment aimed at relocating 27,000 families to 247
\nresettlement sites under the government-sponsored program.<\/p>\n
Presently, the program faces further problems because many
\nideal sites are already occupied by indigenous residents who will
\ninsist on compensation in return for their land, he said.<\/p>\n
Most types of employment generated by this program are also
\nlimited to the agricultural sector, making it unattractive to
\nprospective transmigrants, he added.<\/p>\n
Commencing in 1999, the government intends to send more
\ntransmigrants to the sparsely-populated eastern provinces, such
\nas Irian Jaya, Widarbo said. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-tries-to-control-transmigrants-activities-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}