Develop, don't ruin: Soeharto

Develop, don't ruin: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto reaffirmed yesterday Indonesia's commitment to develop the country without destroying its natural resources.

"We should develop without destruction," he said in a speech commemorating National Social Solidarity Day and the simultaneous launching of National Conservation Week in Lamreh village, Aceh Besar regency, Aceh.

He also reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to start exporting, in the year 2000, only environment-friendly products from forests which are managed to ensure their sustainability.

Soeharto acknowledged that the country has been benefiting from forestry industry. "The income we have received from the forest industry has not been inconsiderable," he said. "The condition, however, will not last long unless we are willing to re-green the forests and preserve them."

"We should manage our forests as best as we can," he said.

"As a member of the world community, we have agreed that, starting from 2000, the forest-based products we export will have to come from forests which are managed in a sustainable way and bear the environmentally-friendly labels," he said.

Soeharto also called on the community to help maintain national parks, which function as life-support systems for the environment.

"One of the national parks which we're proud of is the Mt. Leuser National Park here in Aceh...a home to rare animals such as orangutan, Sumatra rhinoceroses, elephants, bears and wild goats," he said. "I hope you will take good care of this national park."

Economic programs

In an effort to link the preservation of natural resources to the social solidarity campaign, the Ministry of Transmigration has launched a number of economic programs to help farmers and forest squatters.

The programs include loans to food farmers and to people living near forests who can develop the areas. "The programs should be continued so that...we can establish a rural community which is economically strong," Soeharto said.

He reminded the public that forests which are potential food producers should be managed to ensure food security and to help the poverty alleviation programs.

Soeharto also used yesterday's ceremony to launch the Prosperous Family Saving program, a financial assistance program designed to help poor families improve their livelihood.

"This scheme is very beneficial to our efforts to help those who are still living below the poverty line," he said.

He called on all environmental groups, farmers, fishermen, social workers, youth activists as well as community leaders to become "pioneers" and "role models" in pushing for a development process that is nature-friendly.

Social Solidarity Day is the brainchild of Mrs. Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of President Soeharto.

It was held simultaneously with National Conservation Week so that the people's "effort to re-green and conserve nature will be even more successful, because it's done with a high awareness of social solidarity", Soeharto said.

"Development needs strong social solidarity...(and) development should be carried out while preserving natural resources. We are not working to develop the nation for our own interests only, but for the sake of the younger generations as well."

The date Dec. 20 was chosen for Social Solidarity Day in remembrance of the time in 1948 when villagers outside Yogyakarta, then the capital of the fledgling republic, gave sanctuary to independence fighters and the nation's leaders after the city had been captured by the Dutch the previous day.

Their gesture allowed the fighters, including the young Soeharto, to regroup and mount a surprise attack against the Dutch, who thought that the republic's forces had been rendered ineffective. (swe)