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turn into a large barren area and tribal people living inside the park would be displaced unless the bulldozers were withdrawn.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.