ICRAF Report Says Fires `Weapon in Social Conflict'
10/21/97
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Headline: ICRAF Report Says Fires `Weapon in Social Conflict'
Source: Agence France-Presse
Date: 10/21/97
Copyright 1997 by Agence France-Presse
JAKARTA, Oct 21 (AFP) - Some of the forest fires ravaging
Indonesia are being used as a weapon in disputes over land rights
between big companies and local farmers, according a report
published here Tuesday.
The report by the International Center for Research in
Agroforestry (ICRAF), based in Bogor near Jakarta, said many of the
blazes have been "deliberately started as a weapon in social
conflict."
"At the heart of this problem are conflicts over land, resulting
from unclear and insecure property rights and land allocation
policies that take too little account of established -- albeit
informal -- local claims," said the report.
It was compiled following the Alternative to Slash-and-Burn
Programme launched by scientists from 15 countries after the last
major Indonesian forest fires in 1994.
The group carries out three programmes in west Africa, southeast
Asia and Latin America.
"Millions of people live in the forestland areas but because
they have no security of tenure, they can be evicted at any time to
make way for development projects," the study said.
"Large companies had been known to burn land to drive out
smallholders. Smallholders have been known to burn trees established
by large companies to retaliate for perceived injustice. In these
conflicts, fire is a powerful weapon for both planters and farmers.
"Aside from contributing to social conflict, 'land grabs' by
large companies that displace local people also undermine incentives
at the community level to prevent, report and fight fires," it
continued.
"It is reasonable to conclude that the risks of fires can only
increase in the coming years unless social and policy issues are
addressed along with the technical causes of fire and smoke."
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