Walhi sues government over peat land

JAKARTA (JP): The opening hearing of a lawsuit filed by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) against the government over a controversial one-million-hectare peat soil area in Central Kalimantan has been postponed.

Presiding Judge Endang Sri Murwati said on Tuesday the hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court would be delayed until Oct. 5 due to a problem with the power of attorney representing the government.

Walhi, represented by six of its nine lawyers, are suing 20 government representatives, including the President and eight Cabinet ministers, of which the minister of public works, minister of home affairs, minister of agriculture, minister of forestry and plantation, minister of transmigration and resettlement of forest nomads and minister of finance are named.

Walhi's accusations are based on the implementation of Presidential Decree No. 83/1995 which allows a project to begin operations without prior consultation with local communities.

According to the lawsuit, the project also misappropriated Rp 527.2 billion (US$65.9 million) of forest rehabilitation funds, while ignoring an environmental impact analysis and the aspirations of local indigenous communities.

The project forced the communities to move off their land, which was their sole source of income and food, and violated local customs on forest clearing, it said.

Walhi alleged the forest conversion contributed to significant environmental destruction, such as decreasing the soil's capacity to absorb water which causes floods during the wet season and water shortages in the dry season. At the same time, it endangered a variety of species, including those that are protected. (06)