Activists fear losing more forests
Activists fear losing more forests
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Forestry activists warn that the country will pay a much greater
cost in the future compared to the short-term profits reaped by
allowing open-pit mining companies to operate in protected
forests.
Togu Manurung from Forest Watch Indonesia told The Jakarta
Post on Wednesday that the government should have taken into
account the real environmental costs associated with large-scale
mining in the forests, instead of merely calculating the short-
term profits from the minerals that are extracted.
"Just name your problem; pollution and its effect on the
surrounding environment, the social cost such as possible
conflicts between people living on the land, and the lost
biodiversity. It's too much compared to the short-term profits,"
he lamented.
With the annual deforestation rate in Indonesia estimated at
around 3.8 million hectares, (most attributed to illegal logging)
which contributes to over 25 percent of the world's annual total
deforestation of 15 million hectares, Togu reiterated that the
mining operations would exacerbate the condition.
"It will unquestionably worsen an already tragic situation.
Just imagine the widespread effect of the vast land clearing and
dredging," he warned.
Togu was commenting on the issuance of a government regulation
in lieu of law (perpu) recently, which allows 13 mining firms to
resume operations in protected forests.
The firms were part of a large group of mining firms operating
in protected forests that froze their operations following the
enactment of new forestry legislation in 1999, which banned open-
pit mining in those areas.
Togu added that any argument for post-mining reclamation
projects would be infeasible.
"Even if reclamation was possible, it would be extremely
difficult and take around 100 years to come close to restoring
the original condition of virgin tropical forests," he said.
Togu's view was shared by Indro Tjahyono from the Indonesian
Network for Forest Conservation (SKEPHI), who said that Indonesia
would suffer even more from the international community, which
was already distraught over this government's perceived lack of
commitment to natural resource conservation.
"In addition, think of the permanent loss of the priceless
microorganisms in those forests, their value to science and the
reservation of resources for future generations," Indro told the
Post.
The activists also urged the government push the developed
countries to exercise more control over mining companies based in
those nations.
"One argument is that the (critical) developed countries are
applying double standards on us. On one side they're urging us to
mend the environmental destruction, but their multinational
companies are exacerbating the destruction," Togu said.
Indro added that there should be more deliberation before
giving the green light to the mining companies.
"I think that this is simply a means of reaping short-term
benefits without considering the inevitable long-term costs
associated with the destruction of the environment. I don't see
what the urgency is in issuing this perpu," he said.
Seperately, spokesman for the Indonesian Mining Association
(IMA) Siddharta Moersjid favored the government's move.
"I clearly agree with the government, which is finally looking
for solutions to the ongoing dilemma among the mining firms,"
Siddharta of PT Freeport Indonesia said.
He added that the activists should carry out a detailed
examination before making accusations of possibly heightened
environmental destruction.