Former minister Soedjarwo dies

JAKARTA: Former forestry minister Soedjarwo died on Monday after receiving treatment for some time at the Mt. Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. He was 82 years old.

The forestry ministry said in a release the body of Soedjarwo would arrive home on Tuesday for burial at Bonoloyo cemetery in the Central Java town of Surakarta on Wednesday.

He is survived by a wife and four children.

Soedjarwo served as the forestry minister between 1983 and 1988 in the Cabinet of former president Soeharto.

Born in Surakarta's neighboring town of Wonogiri on April 15, 1922, Soedjarwo graduated from the Forestry Academy in 1953 and was among the first graduates of the National Resilience Institute.

Following his term in the Cabinet, he was appointed a member of the now defunct Supreme Advisory Council for the 1988-1993 period.

He received a number of awards, both domestic and international, including from the Louise Pasteur Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund for his contributions to forestry. -- Antara