Earth Day celebrations marred by cancelations

Earth Day celebrations marred by cancelations

JAKARTA (JP): A public dialog on environmental hazards and an
antinuclear art exhibition planned in conjunction with an event
to celebrate Earth Day were canceled by authorities at the last
minute yesterday.

The activities were scheduled to be part of an event organized
by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) at the Bulungan
Youth Center, South Jakarta.

Walhi activist Muhammad Anung, who is also a member of the
Indonesian Antinuclear Society, said the authorities had said
Walhi did not have a permit to hold the two activities.

"We told them that it (permit) was on the way from National
Police Headquarters. But they didn't listen. They know that Amien
(Rais) comes (to Walhi events) time and again and that a permit
is never needed," Anung said. Walhi applied for the permit three
weeks ago, he added.

Other planned activities were, however, allowed to go forward.
These included the cutting of a traditional rice cone and a
demonstration on paper recycling.

A speech by Amien Rais, chairman of the 28 million-strong
Moslem Muhammadiyah organization, also went undisrupted despite
his usual vocal remarks.

The event was held along with other various "earth
purification" (Ruwatan Bumi) activities in several cities
throughout the country to raise public awareness of the
environment and encourage creativity in response to the economic
crisis.

Amien focused on many disastrous political consequences facing
the country's environment.

"The three concerns of every developing country, including
ours, are increasing poverty, unemployment and the deteriorating
quality of the environment," Amien said.

He added that the relationship shared between modern people
and the environment "is not of mutual respect and fondness ...
but of an indifferent man dealing with a prostitute. There is no
dignity."

Even today, he said, authorities were stopping them from
having an open talk on how to make people more aware of the
nation's hazards.

"One day, all of this will change," Amien told an audience of
200 people, including students of top high schools located near
the youth center.

Walhi executive director Emmy Hafild cited that the worst
hazards facing the country included air pollution.

"Studies released in 1994 reveal that the mortality rate of
children under five due to air pollution reached 14.4 percent in
Jakarta, which is 6 percent of Indonesia. It is the nation's
second environmental hazard killer."

The paper recycling demonstration drew much interest from the
students, as did a demonstration showing how earthworms were used
to make fertilizer from organic waste. Many visitors bought
recycled paper and even the fertilizer for Rp 1,500 per kilogram.

The Earth Day celebration also featured the cutting of
inverted rice cones.

Wahyu, a Walhi helper, said the cutting of the triangular rice
cone carried significant meaning for Javanese people.

"The top signifies the peak... God. This time, however, the
top signifies the executive level. One side of the bottom
signifies the legislative, while the other signifies the people,"
Wahyu said.

"Rice cones are inverted to signify that the nation's people
should be on top and not otherwise." (ylt)