DSP refuses to comment on Kutai forest plan
DSP refuses to comment on Kutai forest plan
JAKARTA (JP): PT Dwipangga Sakti Prima (DSP) refused to
comment yesterday about its reported plan to exploit a vast area
of the protected Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan.
"We will not comment since what we have is for ours to keep
and we don't have to share anything with the public, well not yet
anyway," said a company public relations officer who requested
anonymity.
She also refused to divulge the company's profile or its
owners. She only said that the company, whose head office is in
South Jakarta, is "a contractor, whose activities range from
telephone installing to construction and mining."
Earlier, the Ministry of Forestry and Ministry of Mines and
Energy had disclaimed any knowledge of the existence of the
company. Senior officials at the two ministries have also denied
issuing permits to either research or exploit 100,000 hectares of
the 200,000-hectare national park.
According to a source, the company's president, M. Riza
Chalid, was one of the three people who showed the head of Kutai
National Park, Warsito, a permit to undertake mining research.
However, Warsito told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the
United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) and other organizations concerned about the preservation
of the park should now stop worrying, given the two ministries'
clarification about not issuing any permits.
He also cited the Ministry of Forestry's assurance that it
would help preserve the park.
"I'm sure the Ministry of Forestry will do its best to prevent
any mining activities," he said.
Warsito was the first to inform UNESCO of the reported mining
research. He had earlier expressed concern because, to his
knowledge, mining research often leads to permits being granted
to extract minerals.
The Antara news agency was the first to publicize the plan to
exploit Kutai National Park. Its report sparked anxiety among
UNESCO experts who in turn requested an explanation from the
Ministry of Forestry. (12)