Malaysia questions ramin report
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.