Govt. criticized for trying to absolve forest violators<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post,
\nMedan\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
As many as 27 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in North
\nSumatra criticized the government for stating that the recent
\nflash flood in the regency's resort town of Bukit Lawang, which
\nkilled more than 140 people, was a purely natural disaster.<\/p>\n
NGO coalition spokesman Herwin Nasution, also the director of
\nthe North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Forum on the
\nEnvironment (Walhi), said that the government's statement was too
\npremature.<\/p>\n
\"The government's abrupt announcement that the flash flood is
\na natural disaster was based only on video footage taken from a
\nhelicopter,\" he told reporters after a meeting with North Sumatra
\ncouncil on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa, who, along with State
\nMinister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim, had separately made
\nsuch a statement, has acknowledged that they were \"a preliminary
\nconclusion.\"<\/p>\n
Herwin lashed out at the government for ignoring other
\npossibilities of the cause of the flood, despite investigations
\nby other parties.<\/p>\n
\"The preliminary investigation by our coalition and a team
\nfrom the Office of the State Minister of the Environment revealed
\nforest destruction in the upper reaches of the Bahorok River,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The premature statement, Herwin said, is misleading as people
\nwould consider that the government was protecting illegal
\nloggers, who are often backed by security and government
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
The coalition cited data from the National Coordination Agency
\n(Bakornas) which shows that there have been 647 disasters in the
\nperiod 1998 to 2003 in Indonesia. As many as 85 percent were
\nfloods and landslides due to environmental destruction.<\/p>\n
Councillor M. Yamin Lubis supported the coalition, adding that
\nit was essential an independent team investigated the cause of
\nthe flood.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that hundreds of cubic meters of logs piled in
\nthe Bukit Lawang site had been sold illegally to owners of timber
\nplants.<\/p>\n
\"Much timber was sold at night,\" said Ikhsan Izka Rawi, a
\nmember of the Bahorok Flash Flood Crisis Center, without
\nelaborating.<\/p>\n
The flood swept away thousands of cubic meters of trees and
\nlogs. Some of the trees stumps and logs had been stamped \"MK.\"<\/p>\n
Ikhsan said that some security officers had sold the trees,
\nwhich were taken by truck to certain timber plants close to Bukit
\nLawang.<\/p>\n
A cubic meter of illegal meranti wood sells for at least Rp
\n750,000.<\/p>\n
Residents of Bukit Lawang had expected local authorities to
\nsell the fallen trees and logs legally so the revenue could be
\nused to rebuild their town.<\/p>\n
Minister Prakosa said that the fallen trees and logs are
\nconsidered state assets, meaning they must be sold in a
\ntransparent bidding process and that the money should go to the
\nstate's coffers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-criticized-for-trying-to-absolve-forest-violators-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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