Down to Earth
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International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia
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LOGGERS MOVE IN ON YAMDENA ISLAND FORESTS AGAIN
The livelihoods of thousands of indigenous people of Yamdena in
eastern Maluku are once again under serious threat as large scale
commercial logging resumes on the island. State forestry company
PT Inhutani I has teamed up with the private company PT Mohtra
Agung, owned by Indonesia's most powerful timber magnate Bob
Hasan, to log 164,000 hectares or about two thirds of the
island's tropical rainforests. Logging in the southern part of
the concession started in July.
The destruction of Yamdena became a national issue in 1992
when protests against logging led to bloodshed on at least two
occasions. Security forces brought in to quell demonstrations
beat up and shot angry protesters. In 1993, local people with
national and international support brought about a temporary halt
to the logging by the original concessionaire, PT Alam Nusa
Segar. Pointing to research conducted by the Soil and Climate
Research Centre in Bogor, the protesters then argued that the
logging would destroy the island's tropical forest ecosystem,
cause serious erosion, disrupting water supplies and threaten the
coral reefs ringing the island which sustain local fisheries. The
same arguments apply today. Yamdena's indigenous population of
83,000, have nothing to gain from the logging, but face the
destruction of their traditional livelihoods and the erosion of
their culture.
Local people supported by the Jakarta-based organisation
ICTI - the Association of Tanimbar Intellectuals of Indonesia -
and an NGO called Bina Linkungan Hidup are trying hard to stop
the logging through the courts. Their attempt to secure an
injunction against the companies and force an early halt to the
logging has failed. A further suit filed against the Forestry
Minister and PT Inhutani I which calls for a total ban on
commercial logging will be heard in December.
Land rights
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Yamdena's indigenous people hold traditional collective land
rights which cover the whole island, leaving no unclaimed or
"empty" areas. But the logging companies and government alike
have consistently chosen to ignore these rights. The only
attention paid to the issue was by PT Mohtra Agung which staged
a ceremony to give the appearance that indigenous clans had
agreed to surrender their lands to the company.
Throughout Indonesia, logging companies are obliged to set
aside funds to improve the welfare of local communities, but no
there is no evidence of this happening on Yamdena. Neither are
jobs on logging concession given to islanders. Meanwhile, if
anyone protests against the companies, they are labelled "GPK"
or subversive trouble-makers, by the authorities.
Biodiversity
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Yamdena lies on the so-called "Wallace line" which divides the
two major fauna and flora types of South East Asia and
Australasia. Endangered tree species unique to the island include
Manilcara.sp, locally known as "torim". Yamdena is also home to
a number of unique fauna species including cockatoos and a type
of wild buffalo.
Commercial logging is placing these species under risk of
total extinction. It is highly ironic therefore, that the
Indonesian government has decided to sanction the destruction
while presenting itself internationally as a champion of
biodiversity. The recent meeting of parties to the Biodiversity
Convention were left in no doubt as to Indonesia's commitment to
fulfilling its obligations under the Convention. Actions speak
louder than words, however, and the case of Yamdena illustrates
how Indonesia's commitment to maintaining biodiversity falters
when it comes up against the interests of the loggers and their
friends in the government.
ACTION
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Please join the international efforts to stop the destruction of
Yamdena! Write letters protesting against the resumption of
logging and calling for the land rights of local people to be
recognised. Point out the discrepancy between Indonesia's
laudable international commitment to maintaining biodiversity and
the situation on the ground in Yamdena.
Government: Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, Minister for Forestry
Forestry Building
Manggala Wanabhakti
Jl Gatot Subroto, Senayan
Jakarta Pusat
Sarwono
State Minister for Population and Environment
Jl Medan Merdeka Barat 15
Jakarta Pusat
Loggers: Indonesia Forestry Society (MPI)
Manggala Wanabhakti
Jl Gatot Subroto, Senayan
Jakarta Pusat
Indonesia
World Bank-led donors group:
Consultative Group on Indonesia
Lippo Life Building
Jl H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav B-10
Kuningan, Jakarta 12940
Indonesia
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London,
February 1996