Illegal logging ruining Leuser National Park

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

At least 50,000 hectares out of a total of 216,000 hectares of forest in the Gunung Leuser National Park has been deforested since 1980, sparking concern over an environmental disaster in the area, a senior local government functionary said on Friday.

Illegal logging was to blamed for the rapid deforestation, said Langkat regent Syamsul Arifin.

"The deforestation is getting worst, especially in Besitang and Sei Lepan districts," said Syamsul.

The regent told a press conference that the illegal logging had actually been reported to the Ministry of Forestry for follow-up action. "The central government needs to take swift action against the illegal loggers so that further environmental damage can be avoided," said Syamsul.

The illegal logging involved high-level bureaucrats, security personnel and businesspeople, making it difficult for the government to stamp it out.

But, the government had to make a start otherwise the forest would disappear, said Syamsul.

The executive director of the North Sumatra Forum for the Environment (Walhi), John Purba, said the environmental damage in the regency had been taking place for a long time but the government had never done anything concrete to stop it.

The illegal loggers were "untouchable" as they were backed by government officials and security personnel, said Purba.

"How can the logs be removed so easily from the jungle without anyone seeing them? The illegal loggers are obviously being backed by security personnel so that they can transport the logs out of the jungle," said Purba.

A case in point was that of "Mr. A", a well-known operator in the timber trade who was suspected of being involved in illegal logging. He had never been arrested although various organizations, including local NGOs, have furnished information to the police that he was involved in illegal logging.

Purba said that if the illegal logging was not dealt with quickly, it would lead to more natural disasters. The government should learn from the Bahorok tragedy two years ago, which killed more than 150 people. The flash flood in Bahorok happened because of the felling of the forests in the upper reaches of the river, said Purba.

The illegal logging has not only concerned Langkat regency administration, but also other local governments nationwide as illegal logging was rampant across the country. The government launched a nationwide crackdown against the illegal loggers in March of this year and thousands had been arrested since then. Despite the large number of arrests, illegal logging was still taking place, especially in remote areas.