'Foreign mafia' eyes Papua trees

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 | Source: ANTARA

'Foreign mafia' eyes Papua trees

MANOKWARI, Papua: A nongovernmental organization Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) has warned against the presence of a "foreign mafia" said to be aiming to cut down Papuan forests as many of the forested areas in western parts of Indonesia have been largely denuded.

FWI Executive Director Togu Manurung said on Tuesday the group has been lobbying Papuan authorities to give them the green light for illegal logging in the province's rainforests.

The country's forests are in critical condition in many areas mainly as a result of illegal logging with the deforestation rate reaching about 2.4 million hectares per year. -- Antara

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