PAN chided as environment foe

BATAM, Riau: A group of environmentalists lashed out at Amien Rais' National Mandate Party (PAN) for cutting down hundreds of bamboo trees to make 2,000 flag poles for its three-day congress here.

"We regret the use of bamboo considering the fact that our forest has already been damaged. Why they don't they erect metal poles?" asked Andy, one of the environmentalists.

The congress opened on Monday.

The protest has been aired on local radio which is also heard in Singapore and Malaysia.

Environmental groups have reported that some 4,000 hectares of forests in Batam has been cleared for various reasons, including construction projects.

In the current fiscal year, the local administration only allocated some Rp 500 million of the Rp 2 billion required to rehabilitate the forest. --Antara