Illegal logging threatens tribes, national park

Illegal logging threatens tribes, national park

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and the Talang Mamak and Orang
Rimba tribes, which live inside the protected forest, are under
threat with the arrival of nine bulldozers to be used for illegal
logging in the area.

The bulldozers were brought from North Sumatra by PT Dalek
Hutani Esa (DHE), a forest concession-holder in Jambi.

"The presence of those bulldozers will destroy the limited
production forest (HPT) in the area of PT Dalek Hutani Esa's
concession," director of Conservation Information (WARSI) Rudi
Syaf told The Jakarta Post here on Monday.

He warned that the national park, which covers 127,698
hectares of rainforest, would turn into a large barren area and
tribal people living inside the park would be displaced unless
the bulldozers were withdrawn.

"A corridor has been made to transport logs taken from the
protected forest," he added.

According to WARSI monitoring, the bulldozers were operating
outside their permitted area. WARSI activists found indications
that the company had slashed large trees, not only in forest
areas under its control, but also inside the national park.

The Forum for Jambi Forest Conservation (FPHJ) earlier
recommended the government declare the concession forest as part
of the national park but the local administration rejected the
recommendation.

"PT DHE agreed to allocate 200 hectares of its area as an
orangutan rehabilitation center. The promise was pure lies," he
added.

Rudi added that bulldozer operations had violated the existing
regulations that allow forest concessionaires to slash trees with
a diameter of 60 centimeters or more.

"In fact, the bulldozers destroy trees that have a diameter
below that required by the regulations," he said.

Separately, regent of Indragiri Hilir Rusli Zainal disclosed
that the forest dweller problem also occurred in the area of the
national park located in Indragiri regency.

He boasted that his administration had been trying to stop the
activities, adding that the main problem was the lack of
commitment on behalf of the related local authorities to stop the
logging.

"The government knows about the theft, but cannot do any more.
It often says that the logging is aimed at fulfilling the needs
of the industry," Rusli added.