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