Tanjung Puting National Park facing disaster<\/p>\n
By Mahmudah<\/p>\n
PALANGKA RAYA, Central Kalimantan (Antara): Tanjung Puting
\nNational Park, one of the most important forest reserves in the
\ncountry, is in a deplorable state.<\/p>\n
The internationally acclaimed park is home to endangered
\nspecies like the orangutan and proboscis monkeys. It boasts an
\necosystem including rain forests, freshwater forests, mangroves
\nand a beautiful forested coastline suitable for tourism and
\nresearch.<\/p>\n
But its 415,040 hectares in Kotawaringin regency are dwindling
\nbecause of rampant illegal logging.<\/p>\n
Fauna endemic to the park are the orangutan (pongo pygmeus),
\nproboscis monkey (nasalis larvatus), owa-owa (hylobates
\nmuellery), kelasi merah (presbytis rubicunda), bear (helarctos
\nmalayanus), and deer (cervus unicolor). It also boasts 220 bird
\nspecies which are designated as protected.<\/p>\n
The 400 families with 1,700 members living in the vicinity
\nhave flatly rejected allegations they are looting the park. They
\nwere displaced when the government expanded the park's area from
\n305,000 hectares to 415,040 hectares in 1996.<\/p>\n
\"Please don't brand us looters or wood pillagers of Tanjung
\nPuting. What we are doing is exercising our rights (to the
\nnatural wealth) which were taken away by the Dutch colonialists
\nand the New Order government,\" said Abdul Hain Yunus, a leader of
\nthe Kumai tribe.<\/p>\n
He said the main mistake of the Dutch colonists and the New
\nOrder government was to designate the forest as a reserve without
\nconsulting generation after generation of the local people.<\/p>\n
\"We refuse to recognize the claim that Tanjung Puting is a
\nnational or international asset unless the government restores
\nour right. As long as this condition is not met, it will be
\ndifficult to secure the park,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to help secure the park if the community living
\nin the forest is empowered and not accused of stealing, looting
\nand committing other crimes.\"<\/p>\n
Chief of the park Suherty Reddy said in nearby Pangkalan Bun
\nthat illegal logging caused the park to lose about 5,000 hectares
\nof forest in its core areas.<\/p>\n
\"The extent of the damage is increasing,\" he said. \"The
\nactivity has even reached the area where experts from around the
\nworld are doing research.\"<\/p>\n
The illegal loggers' number reaches into the thousands. They
\nfell trees in areas like Buluh Besar, Buluh Kecil, Pembuang Hulu,
\nand along the Sekonyer River.<\/p>\n
Acting Central Kalimantan Governor Rapiuddin Hamarung said
\nafter his recent visit to the park that the provincial government
\nwould do everything it could for its protection.<\/p>\n
\"Frankly, we are very worried about the condition of the park.
\nIf we cannot stop the logging in two months, the park will be
\nfinished.\"<\/p>\n
The government is planning a major operation to save the park.
\nIt has deployed personnel from the Navy and police around the
\nforest to deter loggers.<\/p>\n
\"Our prime target is to demolish a 50-kilometer track that
\nloggers use to smuggle stolen timber out of the park,\" Rapiuddin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The government has vowed to take action against officials
\ncolluding in the timber theft. It is also planning a crackdown on
\nthe estimated 600 sawmills in Kotawaringin Barat. Many are
\nsuspected of working with the loggers.<\/p>\n
\"Any unlicensed sawmills will be closed. All sawmill owners
\nhave to explain how they obtain their timber, and they will have
\ntheir plants shut down if they fail to do so,\" Rapiuddin said.<\/p>\n
The government, he added, will not issue more licenses for new
\nsawmills. Port administrators have been ordered not to issue
\ndeparture permits for boats carrying timber unless they have a
\nclearance permit from the forest authorities.<\/p>\n
It will auction the 10,000 cubic meters of wood confiscated
\nfrom illegal loggers.<\/p>\n
Observers believe that any attempt to stop the illegal logging
\nwill be futile unless the locals living in the forest areas are
\nempowered.<\/p>\n
\"They will have to be provided with skills for alternative
\nemployment because evicting them would be unfair and inhumane,\"
\nRapiuddin said.<\/p>\n
The provincial government is finding employment for the
\npeople, including at industrial forestry complexes. Workers can
\nearn between Rp 190,000 and Rp 350,000 a month.<\/p>\n
Cukong, or businesspeople who collaborate with the locals to
\nobtain timber, will not entitled to bank loans for other
\nbusinesses unless they stop cutting trees in the forest,
\nRapiuddin said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Central Kalimantan provincial office of
\nforestry and plantations Soehardijono said Tanjung Puting
\nNational Park would be reorganized.<\/p>\n
\"The borders will be reviewed based on the recent agreement
\nwith customary leaders,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the operations against loggers would continue until
\nthe illegal activities stopped.<\/p>\n
\"All the seized timber will no longer be auctioned but will be
\ndestroyed. This is to erase the impression that the government
\njustifies theft,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tanjung-puting-national-park-facing-disaster-1447893297",
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