No go for green lawsuit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta State Administrative Court dismissed
\nyesterday a lawsuit filed by five environmental activists against
\nPresident Soeharto for his plan to divert huge sums of
\nreforestation funds to a private pulp and paper company.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Lintong Oloan Siahaan said his court did not
\nhave the authority to pass judgment on the constitutionality of
\nany presidential decree.<\/p>\n
Nurul Almy Hafild, executive director of the Indonesian Forum
\nFor Environment (Walhi), and four other Walhi members had filed
\nthe lawsuit requesting the court to annul Presidential Decree
\nNo.93\/1996 which granted Rp 250 billion (US$105 million) to PT
\nKiani Kertas to help finance the development of a $1 billion pulp
\nand paper mill in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Bambang Widjojanto, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nInstitute, who is representing the plaintiffs said his clients
\nwere still considering whether to appeal against the decision.<\/p>\n
PT Kiani Kertas, a subsidiary of the Kalimanis Group owned by
\ntycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, is developing a 500,000-ton-a-year-
\nmill on a 3,400 hectares. The mill is due to start operating this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs cited the 1982 Environmental Law which
\nguarantees that every one has the right to a good and healthy
\nliving environment and has the duty to preserve and prevent it
\nfrom being polluted and destroyed.<\/p>\n
They said the Berau pulp and paper project threatened the
\nenvironment with toxic air pollution. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-go-for-green-lawsuit-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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