***********************************************
WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Loggers
Move Into Indigenous Lands in Indonesia Again
***********************************************
Forest
Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
2/4/96
OVERVIEW
& SOURCE
Down to
Earth reports on the most recent incursion into indigenous
lands
on Yamdena Island in eastern Maluku, Indonesia. 164,000
hectares,
or 2/3 of the island, are to be logged.
This despite
the
fact that the island contains tremendous amounts of
biodiversity,
and the Indonesian government has been outspoken
recently
concerning its intent to preserve biodiversity. Appeals
for
letters are made. This item was posted
in econet's
rainfor.general
conference.
g.b.
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/*
Written 2:14 PM Feb
2, 1996 by gn:dte in igc:rainfor.genera
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/*
---------- "YAMDENA ACTION" ---------- */
YAMDENA
URGENT ACTION
Down to
Earth
================
International
Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia
============================================================
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
============
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
=============
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
=========================
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
_____________________________________________
London,
February
1996
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