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.