Neighbors mute on illegal logs

Neighbors mute on illegal logs

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Indonesian efforts to curb the export of illegal logs met with
opposition on Tuesday as several countries suspected of
purchasing the timber were unwilling to raise the issue at the
current UN meeting in Bali.

State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim said on
Tuesday that many countries benefited from weak law enforcement
of the illegal logging issue.

He said there were some countries that stockpiled their logs
before selling them to a third country.

"We cannot expect those countries to help us raise the issue
at this meeting," Nabiel said.

A staff member at the office of the state minister of
environment said that Indonesia had tried to reach out to
neighboring countries through the Association of Southeast Asia
Nations (ASEAN), but that effort failed.

Countries, such as Malaysia, were apparently reluctant to
discuss illegal logging, because the ministers sent to Bali had
no authority to discuss the issue.

"We are concerned about illegal logging but, unfortunately, it
is not under my authority to comment on that issue. You can ask
my colleagues," said the Malaysian minister of science,
technology and environment, Dato Seri Law Hieng Ding.

Indonesia is seeking support from timber importers not to buy
illegal logs from Indonesia.

Nabiel said most European countries were willing to sign an
agreement with Indonesia not to buy wood products that did not
bear stamps indicating their country of origin to ensure that
they were not illegally logged.

"Curbing illegal logging activities needs to be conducted from
both ends, the supply and the demand. It is difficult to enforce
the law by cutting off the supply when there is a continuing
demand," Nabiel remarked.

Without naming countries, Nabiel said those benefiting from
the country's illegal timber trade would not bother with its cry
for help as they did not want to lose out on profitable business.

"We cannot expect those countries to sign any agreements to
cut the demand of illegal logging. So we have to do it another
way," Nabiel said.

Indonesia has been fighting a losing battle against illegal
logging practices, which has cost the country over US$3billion in
financial losses.

Illegal logging has also caused serious environmental damage
to the forests.

Forest Watch Indonesia chief Togu Manurung said on Tuesday
that the country lost almost two million hectares of forest every
year because of illegal logging.

"Should the activities continue at this rate unchecked, we
will lose our forests by 2010," he said.

Efforts to curb illegal logging have been blocked by two major
constraints, namely the continuing demand from overseas as well
as problems of domestic law enforcement.

Togu called for the government to increase law enforcement to
protect the forest so that efforts to fight illegal logging would
not depend on the other countries' willingness to cooperate.

A source from the plywood industry said demand for illegal
timber continued to increase from countries such as China,
Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

These countries import illegal timber to feed their plywood
industries as well as just to be reexported, he said.

As a consequence, many local plywood companies were forced to
shut down operations as they could not receive enough timber to
feed their factories.

When exports of logs were banned under Soeharto's government,
Indonesia controlled the world's plywood market.