Police urged to probe Karo deforestation

Police urged to probe Karo deforestation

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The Farmers' Advocacy Institution has called on North Sumatra
police to investigate the destruction of 1,060 hectares of a
protected forest in Karo Regency, a catchment area supplying
water to the provincial capital of Medan, Deli Serdang and
Langkat regencies.

According to Darwan Prinst, coordinator of the nongovernmental
organization, the forest, located in Lau Gedang and Doulou
villages, is now almost completely barren because the taller
trees have been felled by modern saws in the last five months.

Noting testimony gleaned from villagers living near the
protected forest area, he added that ten legislators from Karo
and Langkat regencies developed involvement in the destruction of
the woodlands.

The forest, Darwan explained, was looted of its trees
following a meeting between the legislators and residents of the
two villages on April 27, 2001.

"Following the meeting, 61 villagers approached the Karo
legislature, asking the legislative council's support for the
conversion of the forest area into farmland," he said, adding
that the forest area belongs to the area's indigenous population.

However, he added, it seemed strange that Bastanta Surbakti,
deputy chairman of the Karo legislature, delivered a
recommendation to the local forestry office to issue a permit for
the villagers the very same day they lodged their petition.

As someone with a leadership position in the legislature, he
said, Bastanta should have instead followed proper procedure and
brought the petition to a plenary session.

Darwan said that, after the issuance of the Karo legislature's
recommendation, the ten legislators from Karo and Langkat and the
two villages' heads held a meeting in Bukit Kubu on July 8, 2001
to discuss the destruction of the protected forest.

"During the meeting, the ten legislators were asked to be
advisors in the project," he said. Meanwhile, "Bastanta Surbakti
was one of the ten advisors."

Bastanta has denied that he was appointed advisor in the
forest conversion project.

Adil Sirait, a member of the North Sumatra provincial
legislature which made a recent tour of the forest, expressed
deep concern that Karo lawmakers remained silent when the forest
was razed, saying this was an evidence of their complicity.

He said his commission would invite relevant authorities,
including the provincial police, to discuss the slashing of trees
in protected forest areas.

He said the provincial capital, Langkat and Deli Serdang
located below the protected forest in a mountainous area, would
be hit hardest by flooding during the next rainy season in wake
of the forest looting.

For years, "the protected forest has been a water source for
the city and the two regencies," he said.