Environmentalists protest overseas forest concessions
JAKARTA (JP): Environmentalists demanded yesterday that the government take action against two Indonesian companies for "tarnishing" Indonesia's image with their dubious huge forest concessions in Suriname.
Activists from the Network for Forest Conservation in Indonesia and a senior environmentalist from Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment were received by legislators from the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) separately.
The Network for Forest Conservation in Indonesia was represented by its coordinator Indro S. Tjahyono and its representative for Europe Hasjrul Junaid, while Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment was represented by its founder Hemmo Muntingh.
They alleged that the concession may have been obtained through collusion because the Surinamese government awarded it to the companies without approval from the National Assembly as required by law.
"I would like to appeal to the United Development Party to influence the government to stop the illegal concessions in Suriname by two Indonesian logging companies, NV Mitra Usaha Sejati Abadi (MUSA) and SURI Atlantic," Muntingh told PPP legislators.
MUSA obtained the concession of a 150,000-hectares of forest near the Courantyne River on Suriname's western border in 1993 to log timber and exploit the forest's resources.
However, its second request to get an additional 1,105 million-hectare logging concession has been postponed, awaiting approval by Suriname Ministry of National Resources Management.
Muntingh said that Suriname's vast tropical rain forest has to be maintained as it also functions as the world's lungs and, therefore, has to be kept as a nature reserve.
He charged that MUSA has often breached the concessionaire agreement with the Suriname government it signed in 1993. He added that the deal has met fierce opposition from Surinamese and international environmental groups.
Quoting reports from Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry, he said MUSA has poor records in Indonesia, which has resulted in the revocation of its concessions.
Quoting Surinamese newspapers' reports, he said that MUSA has twice bribed Surinamese political figures in order to obtain concessions.
He added neither the Surinamese government nor his organization has enough information on SURI Atlantic's records of performance.
"Nobody knows of Suri Atlantic. How can we approve its request for concession if we don't know its record?" he asked.
SURI Atlantic has reportedly applied for a similar concession of 1,105 million hectares, he said.
Djafar Sidik, the PPP faction secretary in the House, urged the Indonesian businesses to uphold Indonesia's good image abroad.
"But we will study the matter first before discussing it with related institutions," he said.
Djafar was accompanied by his fellow legislator Imam Churmen in the meeting.
The environmentalists delegation yesterday also filed a petition to the Indonesian Democratic Party on the same subject. They were received by Djuwardi Effendi, deputy chairman of the DPR's Commission IV, which deals with forestry issues. (imn)