Tanjung Puting National Park

Tanjung Puting National Park

From Tempo

The increased felling of trees in several of Indonesia's
national parks, long the nation's proud assets, such as in
Tanjung Puting National Park (TNTP), Gunung Leuser National Park
(TNGL) and Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) is not only
saddening but a serious cause for concern.

The latest victim of the plunder is TNTP, with its lush and
easy-to-reach forest along the river and swamps.

As a nature lover and researcher, seventeen years ago I often
visited TNTP, and found that trees had been felled by local
residents only for their daily requirements. However, soon this
changed into a lucrative business financed by those who took
advantage of the negligence of government officials.

Due to weak supervision after the reform era had begun, I
think the national park authorities or the local administration
cannot do much. Actually the local residents around TNTP are
aware that what they are doing is illegal and is tantamount to
plunder, but they just want to express how annoyed they feel
because of the unfair treatment they have received, especially
regarding the forest concessionaires who made huge profits for
years in and around Central Kalimantan, but did not contribute to
local economic development.

The prosperity is only enjoyed by foreign investors, forestry
officials and some businessmen in Jakarta, who have divided the
lots (containing trees previously felled by the local residents
using traditional methods), but now the local residents are
accused of stealing.

The plunder started after the reform era began in early 1997.
In a few years I have witnessed the rising prosperity of West and
East Kotawaringin (Central Kalimantan) and the emergence of local
businessmen suddenly becoming rich. In the middle of the
country's economic crisis they managed to establish private
enterprises, while realizing that if they did not carry out their
current businesses, others with unclear purposes would.

I see a few alternatives to the handling of problems
surrounding TNTP:

1. Leave it to local residents to decide whether they still
want to continue felling the trees illegally (which will later
cause floods and threaten their property and lives -- similar to
the recent predicament in Nias).

2. Hand over the forest concession (whatever is left behind)
to be managed by the local residents, as proof of government's
commitment to economic improvement and local autonomy. This way
the felling of trees will only occur in concession areas already
belonging to the local residents, instead of in the TNTP area.

3. The government and NGOs (local as well as international)
must have programs and a clear agenda to save TNTP, among others
through long term plans to train local residents to
professionally manage their plots and increase the output of
agriculture, fishery and animal husbandry (including the pepper
and coconut trees close to TNTP).

A security approach to TNTP's problems in the near future, I
think, would be futile and costly and might create new collusion.
Therefore the suggestion by the Regent of West Kotawaringin to
acquire funds for security should be changed in favor of the long
term program suggested above.

FACHRUDDIN MAJERIE MANGUNJAYA

Jakarta