Timber barons protest illegal fees

JAYAPURA, Papua: Over 150 people claiming to be timber company employers staged a protest on Thursday in Jayapura, demanding the government put an end to rampant extortion against them.

In the protest, held in front of the Papua provincial council, the protesters said they were routinely charged illegal fees when they were transporting logs into town.

Protest coordinator James Simanjuntak said at each post they had to pay Rp 200,000 (US$22.2) on average. "We pass at least five posts during the trip from the forest to town. You can imagine the losses," said James. -- JP