Who really owns West Java forests?<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
Commission B of the West Java legislative Council, along with
\nnon-governmental organizations (NGOs), is processing a long-
\nawaited bylaw on forest management and the distribution of forest
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
The local administration's plan, however, has been opposed by
\nlocals, who have not been included in forest management for
\ndecades.<\/p>\n
According to council records, the province has managed more
\nthan 1.5 million hectares of forest located in various areas,
\nwhile 5 percent of the forest has traditionally belonged to
\nindigenous tribes.<\/p>\n
Like other forests in Central and East Java, most of the West
\nJava forests has been controlled by state company PT Perhutani,
\nwhich is under the central government.<\/p>\n
Provincial administrations and indigenous people's
\nparticipation in forest management have been denied.<\/p>\n
Yudi Widhiana, a member of Commission B at the provincial
\nlegislative council, said 80 percent of the West Java forests had
\nbeen controlled by PT Perhutani. The rest was controlled by the
\nstate Natural Resources Conservation Agency and the people, Yudi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Industrial and housing estates are believed to have
\ncontributed to deforestation.<\/p>\n
In West Java, 70 percent of the 770,000 hectares of forest
\nhave been destroyed.<\/p>\n
With the vast destruction of forest area, the question that
\nremains is if the indigenous people still own the forest.<\/p>\n
\"The local administration has never kept reliable records on
\nthe forest. The forest's gradual disappearance has never been
\naccurately recorded or made public,\" said Yudi.<\/p>\n
The indigenous people of West Java have started to demand
\ntheir right to manage the forest.<\/p>\n
Representatives of indigenous people swarmed the provincial
\nlegislature on Wednesday to protest the interference of the
\nlegislature and NGOs in forest management.<\/p>\n
Dressed all in black and wearing green headbands, locals
\nrallied passersby in front of the legislative building.<\/p>\n
It was the first time in history that locals from various
\nareas of West Java marched to the legislature to protest the
\nalleged mismanagement of forests.<\/p>\n
In a meeting with members of Commission B of the legislative
\ncouncil, the indigenous people demanded their involvement in any
\nforest management decision-making. They said they did not trust
\nNGOs and legislators any longer.<\/p>\n
\"We no longer trust NGOs and legislators who always claim to
\nrepresent the public. They are all nonsense,\" Akbar Saputra, a
\nmember of the indigenous delegate, said, while pounding the table
\nin the meeting room.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is a resident of Kampung Lebak Samene Tanjungsari,
\nSumedang, burst into tears.<\/p>\n
Other indigenous representatives from Kampung Naga
\nTasikmalaya, Kampung Dukuh Banjar, Ciamis and Gunung Paok,
\nSumedang, also attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
They said that they had been gradually pushed out by
\noutsiders, who had created problems with their forest-related
\npolicies.<\/p>\n
A representative of Kampung Naga and Dukuh said that water had
\nbecome scarce in their villages following the destruction of
\nforests by outsiders.<\/p>\n
A representative from Gunung Paok and Sumedang told those
\ngathered at the legislative council that he was arrested and
\nbeaten by local policemen for reporting illegal logging in the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
\"The police told me to pay Rp 5 million if I wanted to be
\nreleased. How could I afford that much money?\" said the man. \"I
\nwon't do anything if I see anymore illegal logging in the
\nfuture.\"<\/p>\n
Legislator Yudi said that the indigenous people were only
\ncomplaining about deforestation in their areas, which caused an
\nimbalance in the environment.<\/p>\n
\"Traditionally they have their own system of managing the
\nenvironment. Hopefully, the bylaw will help them with better
\nmanagement of the forest,\" Yudi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-really-owns-west-java-forests-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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