In Central Java, forests are looted too

By Haryoso

SEMARANG (JP): Teakwood plantations in Rembang and Blora have been looking more like markets over the past few weeks. Men, women and children are flocking there and trucks are seen coming and going.

The people are illegally logging the state forests of teakwood in broad daylight.

Armed with saws, knives and crowbars, they come in the thousands from villages in the area, felling trees and taking logs without the security forces being able to stop them.

As the economic crisis worsens, theft of teakwood has been on the rise over the past two months in Blora and Rembang and in other areas throughout Central Java.

The authorities say people steal teakwood to sell to venders. Some corrupt forestry officials and security officers are allegedly involved.

Rembang forest rangers' chief Arie Soetjipto said the police and soldiers were unable to stop the thefts because they were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

"In one incident, illegal loggers swayed their hips in mockery of the security officers, who were standing by watching the crowd," He said. "One of our men who tried to stop them had a sickle pressed to his neck."

A Rembang forest ranger, Subangun, recalling the first day of illegal logging, said he and two fellow rangers were threatened by a mob of more than 1,000 people wielding sickles and tree- cutting equipment.

"We were scared to death. About a dozen knife-wielding loggers surrounded and threatened to cut our throats if we dared to move while the mob started cutting the teakwood," he said.

"I was amazed that women, girls and children also took part," he said.

Central Java's state forestry company's (Perhutani) spokesman, Soendoro, said that over the past two months, illegal logging has caused a loss of 72,600 trees worth Rp 100 billion (US$8 million).

Teakwood is highly valued. On the black market, one cubic meter of wood can fetch Rp 1.5 million, and twice as much on the regular market.

The extent of destruction shocked Brig. Gen. Soehardi, the National Police On-the-Alert Director, when he visited an illegally logged teak forest in Blora on July 28. A vast area had been denuded.

The general theorized that the villagers must have been used by a third party, who benefited from the theft.

"I believe that the theft involved not just hungry people. This incident must be investigated thoroughly," he said.

But he did not support drastic measures, such as shooting illegal loggers, to overcome the problem because, he said, he believed in persuasive approaches, like dialogs.

"An officer is allowed to open fire only if his life is in danger," he said.

So far, 160 allegedly illegal loggers have been arrested but only a few will be taken to court. Most were released after their identities were recorded.

Perhutani's chief, Oding Abdulkadir, also believed that the widespread teakwood theft involved a conspiracy.

"Food shortages are not that serious yet as to tempt people into plundering the forest," he said. "People can still afford to buy their basic necessities."

Abdulkadir suspected the thefts were being sponsored by corrupt forestry officials who collaborate with venders.

Perhutani has been carrying out a public relations campaign with people living near the plantation by allowing them to collect small branches in certain locations to be sold as firewood.

According to a report on a recent study by Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University forestry students, the thefts are triggered by the people's discontent with Perhutani's policy.

The report says that Perhutani employees' hypocrisy, such as stealing wood without any apparent legal action being carried out against them, while people get severely punishment for petty thefts, is one of their reasons for discontent.

Sambas Sabarnurdin, a forestry expert from the university, said Perhutani needs to involve more nearby villagers in its forest exploitation.

Official statistics show that Central Java has 312,132 hectares of teakwood, mostly in the regencies of Tegal, Banyumas, Cepu, Purwodadi, Kedu, Pekalongan, Kendal Pati, Rembang, Blora, Pemalang, Surakarta and Semarang.