Neighbors mute on illegal logs<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Indonesian efforts to curb the export of illegal logs met with
\nopposition on Tuesday as several countries suspected of
\npurchasing the timber were unwilling to raise the issue at the
\ncurrent UN meeting in Bali.<\/p>\n
State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim said on
\nTuesday that many countries benefited from weak law enforcement
\nof the illegal logging issue.<\/p>\n
He said there were some countries that stockpiled their logs
\nbefore selling them to a third country.<\/p>\n
"We cannot expect those countries to help us raise the issue
\nat this meeting," Nabiel said.<\/p>\n
A staff member at the office of the state minister of
\nenvironment said that Indonesia had tried to reach out to
\nneighboring countries through the Association of Southeast Asia
\nNations (ASEAN), but that effort failed.<\/p>\n
Countries, such as Malaysia, were apparently reluctant to
\ndiscuss illegal logging, because the ministers sent to Bali had
\nno authority to discuss the issue.<\/p>\n
"We are concerned about illegal logging but, unfortunately, it
\nis not under my authority to comment on that issue. You can ask
\nmy colleagues," said the Malaysian minister of science,
\ntechnology and environment, Dato Seri Law Hieng Ding.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is seeking support from timber importers not to buy
\nillegal logs from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Nabiel said most European countries were willing to sign an
\nagreement with Indonesia not to buy wood products that did not
\nbear stamps indicating their country of origin to ensure that
\nthey were not illegally logged.<\/p>\n
"Curbing illegal logging activities needs to be conducted from
\nboth ends, the supply and the demand. It is difficult to enforce
\nthe law by cutting off the supply when there is a continuing
\ndemand," Nabiel remarked.<\/p>\n
Without naming countries, Nabiel said those benefiting from
\nthe country's illegal timber trade would not bother with its cry
\nfor help as they did not want to lose out on profitable business.<\/p>\n
"We cannot expect those countries to sign any agreements to
\ncut the demand of illegal logging. So we have to do it another
\nway," Nabiel said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been fighting a losing battle against illegal
\nlogging practices, which has cost the country over US$3billion in
\nfinancial losses.<\/p>\n
Illegal logging has also caused serious environmental damage
\nto the forests.<\/p>\n
Forest Watch Indonesia chief Togu Manurung said on Tuesday
\nthat the country lost almost two million hectares of forest every
\nyear because of illegal logging.<\/p>\n
"Should the activities continue at this rate unchecked, we
\nwill lose our forests by 2010," he said.<\/p>\n
Efforts to curb illegal logging have been blocked by two major
\nconstraints, namely the continuing demand from overseas as well
\nas problems of domestic law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Togu called for the government to increase law enforcement to
\nprotect the forest so that efforts to fight illegal logging would
\nnot depend on the other countries' willingness to cooperate.<\/p>\n
A source from the plywood industry said demand for illegal
\ntimber continued to increase from countries such as China,
\nTaiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
These countries import illegal timber to feed their plywood
\nindustries as well as just to be reexported, he said.<\/p>\n
As a consequence, many local plywood companies were forced to
\nshut down operations as they could not receive enough timber to
\nfeed their factories.<\/p>\n
When exports of logs were banned under Soeharto's government,
\nIndonesia controlled the world's plywood market.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/neighbors-mute-on-illegal-logs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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