Malaysia questions ramin report
P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A senior Malaysian diplomat doubted the validity of a joint report released by local non-governmental organization Telapak and the London-based Environment Investigation Agency (EIA) on the smuggling of Indonesian ramin wood (Gonystylus bancanus), which is classified as endangered, to Malaysia.
The counselor for the economy and information of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, Rahimi Harun, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that Telapak and EIA must be able to produce solid evidence and submit it to the embassy.
"We want valid evidence from the report. If they have proof of the illegal trading and the involvement of Malaysian citizens, they could bring the evidence to the embassy," Rahimi said firmly.
"If our future examination shows that the report is valid and reliable, we will process the involvement of any parties in the case through a proper legal way," he Rahimi.
However, he said that if the report proved to be inaccurate Malaysia would take legal action against Telapak and EIA.
According to the Telapak-EIA report, some 4,500 cubic meters of ramin is smuggled each month from Indonesia's Jambi province to Malaysia's Johor Baru area.
The report highlights rampant illegal logging activities in Indonesia, which some experts say destroy around two million hectares of the country's forests each year. The fight against illegal logging and log smuggling have faced difficulties due to a number of reasons, such as corrupt officials and weak law enforcement.
According to Rahimi, Malaysia had set up several meetings with Indonesia concerning the illegal logging and smuggling.
"We have already brought the discussion to the presidential level to prove our seriousness, but there were some interests in the field which tried to inhibit these efforts," Rahimi said without elaborating.
According to Rahimi, Malaysia has shown its seriousness in helping Indonesia by banning any illegal logs smuggled from Indonesia.
Ramin, a blonde tropical hardwood, is listed in the third appendix of the United Convention on International Trade as an Endangered Species (CITES). Therefore, the trade of ramin can only be done under quotas issued by CITES.
According to the Ministry of Forestry, the national stockpiles of ramin reached 240,000 cubic meters by January 2002 with the realization of export of 7,819 cubic meters from a quota of 8,000 cubic meters until Feb. 6 this year.
The price of ramin on the international market is around Rp 905,000 ($107) per cubic meter, according to the ministry.
Head of genetic and species conservation at the Ministry of Forestry Kurnia Rauf said the ministry would propose that ramin be included in the higher level of appendix two, before it could be placed in the first appendix, to attain greater international leverage for protecting ramin wood.
"We will fight to put ramin in the second appendix at the 13th Conference of Parties of CITES, which will be held in Bangkok in October (this year)," said Kurnia.
Kurnia said that only two companies -- PT Diamond Timber and its subsidiary PT Yunis Raya (both based in Riau) -- were licensed to locally sell and export ramin wood.
Kurnia added that the licenses had been given to the companies because they had obtained eco-label certification, which requires well-managed forest areas in terms of ecological, economic and social aspects.