China and Malaysia uncooperative, says minister of forestry

China and Malaysia uncooperative, says minister of forestry

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Forestry Malam Sambat Kaban has accused Malaysia and
China of turning down Indonesia's requests for cooperation
against the trade in illegal forest products with the two nations
concerned enjoying massive profits from the highly destructive
practices.

Both nations always seemed to avoid signing concrete deals
with Indonesia, presumably in order that their businessmen
continue to receive the illegal products from Indonesia, Kaban
told The Jakarta Post.

"Illegal logging is not only about the country of origin, but
also about the receiving countries. Businessmen from China and
Malaysia continue to seek our forest products regardless of
whether or not they are legal," said Kaban.

He explained that both countries were reluctant to seriously
cooperate with Indonesia because it involves an industry worth
billions of dollars and helps absorb manpower in their respective
countries.

The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry has estimated that illegal
trade in forestry products from Indonesia to China, especially
raw timber, over the past couple of years amounts to some 9
million cubic meters valued at Rp 18 trillion (US$1.88 billion).

According to Kaban, the failure of Indonesia to sign
agreements with China was because China had not yet appointed an
agency that would be tasked with the responsibility of following
up on Indonesia's complaints.

Aside from that, China also insists that it mostly receives
the products from Malaysia rather than Indonesia.

Contrary to that however, Kaban said illegal forestry products
from Indonesia are always smuggled to Malaysia or Singapore, and
then shipped to Hongkong for "legalization" before reaching their
destinations in mainland China.

Indonesia and China signed last month agreements on a
strategic partnership aimed at improving the already-good
bilateral relations between them that have been built up over
more than 50 years.

However, the two countries have so far failed to seal a key
agreement on the fight against the trade of illegal forestry
products due to a widely different perception on the definition
of illegal trade.

Indonesia is also having problems in signing similar deals
with Malaysia, with the later insisting that illegal logs or
other forestry products flowing into the country are a result of
Indonesia's lack of law enforcement.

"We are also facing similar problem with Malaysia on the
definition of illegal trade. Our negotiations have been stalled
for years due to these differences that are unlikely to be able
to be addressed soon," said Kaban.

According to Kaban, however, China and Malaysia had once
offered a way for Indonesia to prevent its forestry products from
being smuggled overseas by categorizing a number of trees
originating in Indonesia as an endangered species under the World
Trade Organization (WTO)'s framework.

One of the trees proposed to be included in the WTO appendix 3
category is Intsia palembanica, locally known as merbau, which
according to the ministry makes up the lion's shares of
Indonesian logs smuggled to China.

"We are currently studying the proposal to include merbau in
the appendix 3 so that logs derived from the tree cannot be
traded for business," said Kaban, adding that the log is traded
for at least $315 per cubic meter.

Indonesia has banned raw timber exports since 2003, following
rampant illegal logging at home that has been caused by growing
demands for timber both domestically and overseas.