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.