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)