Save Tanjung Puting!
Save Tanjung Puting!
Your articles about Tanjung Puting's so-called "national park"
(April 14 and 15, 1997) remind me of a time many, many years ago.
I was born and raised there. I remember when nature was still
intact. Humans, fauna and flora lived in harmony. Monkeys shouted
at one another along the river, and swine and cows swam across
the river undisturbed.
When the school bell rang after class, we jumped into the
river without hesitation, swimming and drinking the river water.
We knew that it was clean, uncontaminated by any kind of chemical
substance harmful to our health.
Everyone knew that nature had to be preserved. People only cut
trees for fulfilling their basic needs, i.e. building a shelter.
People had killed mouse-deer, deer or wild swine for their meat,
because there were no fish in the river and no rice to cook.
Hunting was only allowed every September to maintain the
ecosystem. Then our forest was beautiful, the river was clean and
white clouds were always hanging over our head.
But now time seems to have gone by quickly. Everything is
destroyed. The river is filled with logs. Tugboats are pulling
the logs. Dozens of trucks loaded with timber stripped from the
jungle are on the road. Officials pretend not to notice. Sooner
or later the jungle will become barren, rivers will become
contaminated, and the animals' habitat destroyed.
Local people and transmigrators can no longer find jobs. They
have no skills and must face an era of modernization in order to
survive. They become physically weak and are prone to catching
diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, etc. Clearly they become
victims of irresponsible people who earn money by destroying
forests. Thus hell is waiting for future generations.
Obviously we need wise, honest and dedicated people to save
what nature has provided us. The ecosystem must be maintained so
that it can bring prosperity and justice to the entire nation. To
save Tanjung Puting would demonstrate our awareness and love of
mother nature.
Name and address
known to the editor