Papua is the size of California and is almost entirely
covered by vast stretches of virgin rain forest spread over 41.5
million hectares -- or 23 percent of Indonesia''s total forested area of
180 million hectares. Indonesian control over the territory of Papua has
seen the region''s
forests suffer deforestation at the hands of foreign
and domestic private companies.
First, during the Soeharto regime, Papua''s forests were targeted by
logging industries authorized by the Jakarta-based central government.
Up until 2001, as many as 40 logging companies -- none of which were
owned by the indigenous Papuans -- were active in Papua, with
permission from the central government.
The timber companies, without any interference, were able to cut down trees in Papua and sell them to foreign countries.
According to Greenpeace, more than 25 percent of Papua''s natural
forests has been sold by timber firms exporting to Japan, the U.S.,
European countries and China.
Second, as the timber business is worth billions of dollars annually,
Papua''s forests have also been targeted by illegal logging companies.An investigation carried out by the London-based
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) revealed "illegal logging in
Papua typically involves the collusion of the Indonesian military, the
involvement of Malaysian logging gangs and the exploitation of
indigenous communities".
Due to deforestation in Papua, both legal and illegal, Indonesia has
been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the country with
the fastest pace of deforestation in the world.
Third, despite the government''s efforts to combat unauthorized logging
activities, Papua''s forests continue to suffer from illegal logging. Furthermore, Papua''s forests are now being targeted by the
palm oil industry as well as the timber industry.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has already asked Papua''s governor
Barnabas Suebu to open up five million hectares of land for conversion
into palm oil plantations, in a drive to increase biofuel production
and reduce state spending on domestic petrol subsidies (The Wall Street
Journal, Aug. 10, 2007).
The government of Malaysia, the world''s largest palm oil producer,
invited Suebu to see for himself how palm oil plantations can spur
economic growth.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and its Indonesian partner, PT.
Sinar Mas Agro Resources &Technology, have announced they signed an
agreement with Jakarta to invest $5 billion over eight years to develop
palm oil plantations in Papua.
PT Sinar Mas is expected to clear some 1,2 million hectares of Papua''s
rain forests in Boven Digul, Merauke and Mappi regencies to make way
for palm-oil plantations.
Meanwhile, a Korean company in collaboration with a national company,
is also planning to fell trees to clear the path for palm oil
plantations.
In other words, deforestation in Papua for the sake of the palm oil industry is being permitted by the government.
The government and the palm oil companies should be reminded that rain
forests play a key role in maintaining the world''s environmental
balance.
They need to realize that deforestation in Papua causes not only
environmental damage to the western half of the island of New Guinea,
but also affects global warming.
As the government destroys more and more hectares of Papua''s forests in
the name of economic growth, a global warning on deforestation is
urgently needed and should be raised by parties in Papua, Jakarta and
from other nations.
Clearing our ancient forests to make way for economy-boosting palm oil
plantations is not the only way to enhance economic growth in the
country. The government should seek other ways to improve economic growth in Papua, and in general, Indonesia.
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