Villagers till national park

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The heavy burden of the economic crisis has forced villagers here to use about 200 hectares out of the 229,000-hectare Lore-Lindu national park, in Poso regency, to grow crops.

Quoting the head of the park authority, Banjar Yulianto Laban, Antara reported on Thursday that the villagers were from the villages of Pongoa, Kamarora, Sri Rejeki, Berdikari and Rahmat.

"They till the park because they have no more land to cultivate," he was quoted as saying.

Banjar said the villagers chopped down trees to clear land for planting crops like cocoa and corn.

Many of the villagers had sold their land to migrants, he said.

Banjar said he had contacted the provincial administration to allow villagers to make use of other forest products, such as rattan.

"But they must work under the supervision of the national park authority," Banjar said. (aan)