Now for the action

Now for the action

It has taken Indonesia many years, and an international
scandal, for the country to finally wake up to the immensity of
the looting that has been going on for decades in its lush
tropical rain forests.

But now at least it seems that action may finally be taken to
do something about it.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono summoned on Tuesday the
five high-level government officials most directly concerned with
the country's decades-old problem of illegal logging to a hastily
assembled meeting and ordered them to arrest 32 timber barons
currently on the government's blacklist for allegedly backing the
country's notorious illegal timber trade.

Present at Tuesday's meeting were the Minister of Forestry, M.
S. Kaban, Home Minister M. Ma'ruf, National Police chief Gen.
Da'i Bachtiar, Army Headquarters Assistant of Operations Maj.
Gen. Adam Damiri and the Director General of Immigration, Iman
Santosa. After it was done, Da'i was appointed to lead an
"integrated operation."

The five officials the president handpicked to attend were
chosen for good reason. As the president pointed out during the
gathering, "many parties" were involved in the murky illegal
timber business, among them, personnel from the Navy's Eastern
Fleet Command, officers from the Army's various regional commands
in timber-rich areas, regional police officers, local
administrators, personnel from the Ministry of Forestry,
immigration officials and, last but not least, members of
international smuggling syndicates.

"The president ordered 'shock therapy' ... and a special
investigation to be initiated, the findings of which are to be
reported (to the president) within two weeks," Kaban said during
a news conference given after the meeting.

And to convince the public that the president meant business,
presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng added that a detailed
report from the non-governmental organization Telapak was already
in the president's hands, and "nobody in this country is above
the law."

So it seems that, for once, the robbers might be able to see
the ominous shadow of the law approaching. On the other hand, it
remains to be seen what legal course of action is really open to
the government, what political considerations might have to be
weighed, and what the possible consequences of "shock therapy"
might be for everyone concerned.

Be that as it may, it is obvious that the last drop that
caused the bucket to overflow and forced the government into
action was the evidence made public by the London-based
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) along with Telapak in
Jakarta last week. The racket apparently involves the smuggling
of an estimated 300,000 cubic meters of timber a month from
Indonesia -- mostly Papua province -- to China and beyond, and
valued at more than a billion dollars.

In a news conference held in Jakarta last week, the
environmentalists also made the allegation that the racket -- the
biggest case of timber smuggling ever recorded -- was backed and
managed by high-ranking Indonesian military officers aided and
abetted by local government administrators and other law
enforcers. The ring reportedly involves a group of international
crime syndicates that are involved in the massive looting of
timber to supply the growing demands worldwide, particularly
China.

Clearly, the task that Gen. Da'i and his colleagues are facing
is formidable indeed. Not only does he have to confront some of
the most hardened criminals in this part of the world, he -- and
his colleagues, too -- will have to conduct a sweeping clean-up
of their own houses as well, with all the possible consequences
that implies.

Not to be left behind in all this, the House of
Representatives too is busying itself by initiating moves to set
up a special commission to "dismantle" the illegal logging
business which, legislators realize, has reached alarming
proportions.

Whatever may come from all these moves remains to be seen. But
the ball seems to be rolling and there can be no turning back.
Frankly though, doubts exist as to the capability of those who
have been put in charge of bringing the operation to a successful
end any time soon, let alone coming up with a credible report
within two weeks. It is going to be a tough job. However, if the
destruction of our environment is to be brought to a halt, now is
the time to act. At stake is the well-being of this entire
nation.