Regional autonomy puts Irian forests in peril

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fresh fears that regional autonomy will put the environment in danger have become more evident as regency administrations in Irian Jaya have issued controversial bylaws, which have allowed them to overexploit forests to boost revenue.

The increasing export of logs from Irian Jaya this year, despite the infringement of the law, stood out as a good example.

Ivan Ismail, coordinator of the Papua Reform Monitoring Institution (LPRP) said that millions of cubic meters of logs have been shipped out of the province without any tight measures from the central government.

"We see the law violated every day in Irian Jaya. The central government has remained silent each time we have lodged protests against the export of logs," he said at a media conference here on Wednesday.

The joint decree issued by the minister of forestry and the minister of trade and industry in Oct. 2000 banned the export of logs.

According to Ivan, despite the ruling having taken effect, many foreign ships have been sailing back and forth to transport logs from every part of the island.

His organization found two ships flying the Panamanian flag --MV Millenium Dragon and MV Huadi-- which left Sorong, a port town to the west of the provincial capital on Dec. 16 to transport a total of 20,000 metric tons of logs and has reported the case to the central government but so far, no action has been taken.

Ivan further accused the local administration of backing the province's illegal logging trade.

"The joint decree has banned the export of logs. How can logs leave the island unless the trade is backed by the local administration? Many regents have joined the illegal logging syndicate," he said.

He added that the government had not shown any seriousness in tackling illegal logging but merely shown the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that they had fulfilled the necessary commitments to secure more loans.

Jhon Poly Menanti, chairman of the Communication Forum of Papuan Generation lamented that the widespread practice of illegal logging had not only destroyed the environment but also affected the livelihoods of locals and the population of protected flora and fauna in the province.

"Our forests have been plundered and looted. Yet, as the proprietor of the land, we haven't received a single dollar. Instead, illegal logging has adversely affected the livelihoods of tribal people who earn their living from the forest and its rich biodiversity," he said.

He cited Yapen island in Serui regency, which has been deserted since it turned into a barren islet due to illegal logging, which was backed up by local authorities.

Jhon concurred and said that illegal logging in the province had become an entangled conspiracy between illegal loggers, the local administrations and the central government.

"Our people couldn't possibly plunder the forest on such a massive scale. The local government was behind this and was backed up by Jakarta," Jhon accused.

Jhon asserted that the local people had customary laws that entitled them to acquire shares or make a living from the forest.

Ivan added that in a tribal gathering next year the Papua Custom Council would demand that forest concession companies include local shares in their equity.

"By holding equity in the companies, local people can also be a part of the decision making, which involves mapping out the forest resources, while at the same time we can also benefit from it," Ivan said.