Tribalpeople threaten log firm

Tribalpeople threaten log firm

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: Tribespeople in Fruata village, Babo
subdistrict, have threatened to forcibly stop the operations of a
logging company, PT Agoda Rimba Irian, unless their demand for
compensation is met.

The villagers claim that the company, a subsidiary of the
Jayanti Group, has felled trees on a 16-square-kilometer area of
their communal land, which lies outside its concession. They
demand compensation of Rp 2 billion.

Willy Nafurbenan, a community elder, said that the illegal
logging on the communal land has caused a substantial loss of
forest products, the locals' livelihood, such as rattan and
resin.

"We have repeatedly written to the company asking the managers
to stop the illegal logging, but our requests have fallen on deaf
ears," Willy told Antara.