Peat land project

The facts show that the one-million hectare peat land development project has totally failed. Billions of rupiah have gone down the drain. The nation has suffered losses several times over; we have lost natural resources and the biodiversity of millions of hectares of land. Included are millions of cubic meters of wood (these are the comparatively easier calculated resources) wiped away by companies with timber felling permits. The one-million hectare peat land project is more aptly named the one-million hectare peat land destruction project.

So where did all the timber and the trading profits go to? No less than the acting governor of Central Kalimantan raised the matter recently. If the timber was sold for US$15 per cubic meter (about Rp 109,500 at US$1 = Rp 7,300), and if the timber felled amounted to 10 million cubic meters (one hectare yields 10 cubic meters of timber) how many trillion rupiah would we get?

Finally, and most importantly, we suffer an uncountable humanitarian loss when a civilization of indigenous people or locals who have lived in harmony with nature is destroyed; at least 800,000 inhabitants were moved for the project.

While State Minister of Environment Soni Keraf has stated that his priority in his first 100 days will be efforts for legal settlement of large-scale cases such as PT Inti Indorayon Utama, PT Freeport Indonesia and the peat land development project, we hope the minister has the capacity and power to settle the cases in the shortest possible time. The minister should closely study law enforcement attempts, such as demands for compensation for 49 people from Batunjung Kapuas, a suit which they won in court.

A more strategic issue is the lawsuit of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) against the President of the Republic of Indonesia and nine ministers for abuse of power in the peat land project which has brought on disastrous effects economically, socially and culturally, and also in regard to the environment.

The minister should make transparent efforts made toward legal settlements pertaining to the violators.

HENING PURWATI

Jakarta