Government urged to cancel debate on natural resources bills
Government urged to cancel debate on natural resources bills
JAKARTA (JP): A coalition of 125 nongovernmental
organizations, including the Indonesian Forum for Environment
(Walhi), urged on Monday the government and the House of
Representatives cancel debates on the oil and gas bill and the
forestry bill.
They also called on the House to send the two bills back to
the government, urging them to draft a new bill on the management
of all kinds of natural resources to replace the two bills.
It was better to have one law covering all natural resources,
rather than having two different laws on hydrocarbon resources
and forestry, they said.
Walhi's coordinator for forestry advocacy Longgena Ginting
predicted the oil and gas bill, currently being debated by House
members, and the forestry bill, that would be deliberated
starting this week, would fail to protect the country's natural
resources.
"Most of the bills' articles demonstrate a spirit to maximally
exploit the country's natural resources and the government's will
to dominate the people.
"The two bills also neglect the rights of local communities
and the environment. There are no substantial reforms in the
country's natural resources management of the two bills," he
said.
Longgena said a law on the management of all natural resources
should become an umbrella for all government policies on a
variety of natural resources, including forest, water and
minerals.
"For three decades, the government managed each type of
natural resources differently, because there was no legal basis
for them to be integrated.
"Such practices have sparked social conflict among local
people, the government and the private sectors," he said.
On Monday morning, activists staged demonstrations at the
House building and in front of the Ministry of Forestry and
Plantation's office.
In a statement read out before the House Commission III for
agriculture and forestry and food affairs, the activists said
debating the bills in extremely tight schedules would prompt
legislators to overlook limitations in the bills.
The coalition urged the House to allow the new House members
elected during the June 7 general election do the job. The new
legislators will start their terms in September.
"The capacity and time of current House members to deliberate
the bills is very limited. We doubt the results will support the
reform (movement). It will be pro status quo," said Arti D. Adji,
a representative of the coalition.
Several analysts, former ministers and forest concessionaires
have also called for a delay in the deliberation of the forestry
and oil and gas bills.
Chairman of the House Commission III Umbu Mehang Kunda said
the House could not accept the activists' demand.
"But House members promise to take input from any parties in
deliberating the bills," he said.(gis)