Leuser Park 'must be protected'

Leuser Park 'must be protected'

MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 14 nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) and environmentalists expressed on Thursday
their opposition to plans to exploit the Leuser National Park.

"The ecosystem at the park has been disturbed. Now that some
companies have expressed their wish to invest in plantations,
mining and infrastructure development, the Leuser park will be
further damaged environmentally," said Asrul Juned, an executive
of the Indonesian Forest Conservation Network (Skephi).

The NGOs expressed their own opposition in separate
interviews.

Asrul said that the plan to exploit the park ought to be
aborted soon or very serious damage to the forest would take
place.

Leuser National Park, with its protected forest, is located in
North Sumatra province but the adjacent provinces like Aceh
depend on it considerably.

At least three of the 14 NGOs protesting the plan for Leuser
park were Aceh Singkil Environment Lovers, Fakta, an NGO dealing
with the environment and Tembah Pea Lestari, an NGO based in East
Aceh. --Antara