The forum has revealed at least 15 alleged corruption cases related to forest concession permits, reportedly involving private corporations and local administration institutions.

“We have repeatedly reported the cases, but nothing has been done to stop them,” the forum’s advocacy manager Sahat Tarida said recently on the sidelines of Earth Day celebrations in Medan.

Claimed as the speaker of other environmentalist groups, the forum urged the Judicial Mafia Taskforce to probe a number of officials in the regency administrations including regents/mayors alleged to have been involved in the issuance of the licenses.

They also urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to form a team to evaluate the licenses and check the areas designated to the respective concessioners.

Asked for confirmation, head of North Sumatra Forestry Agency James Budiman Siringo-ringo said that his office had yet to receive activists’ reports on alleged corruption practice.

“If we receive reports we still check them. We cannot accuse without proof,” he said.

Separately in Lampung, the South Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBBS) management has pledged to send 80 illegal inhabitants from the park by next month.

“We have the target to send all illegal inhabitants out of the forest by June 2010,” head of TNBBS management Kurnia Rauf said.

Illegal squatters, according to Rauf, was the biggest threat to the existence of the TNBBS as their number had reached tens of thousands of families.

He added that the deforestation rate at the TNBBS had reached 1,630 hectares a year, imposing damage to 53,000 hectares of the park’s total area of 360,000 hectares.

Among the park’s most seriously damaged areas, according to Rauf, included Sekincau, Suoh and Rantau Agung, where about 21,000 hectares of forest had been severely damaged because of illegal logging and dwelling.

Data at the TNBBS office shows that around 26,000 families have illegally entered the TNBBS forests where they undertake illegal plantation to make a living.

“Since 2000 we have been asking them to stop, but it apparently has fallen on deaf ears,” Rauf said.

Head of TNBBS Regional I division Amon Zamora said his office had decided to be firmer by sending stubborn illegal loggers and inhabitants to court. “They have been considered to have violated laws on forestry and nature preservation,” Amon said.

He added that the illegal practice had been occurring since 1961, making it difficult for his office to command them to leave the forest.

Rasdi, an illegal inhabitant hailing from East Java, said he was forced into illegal logging to make a living as ther were no other alternatives.

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia