Hundreds of Aceh refugees involved in forest clearing

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post 21 Dec 09;

More than 500 refugee families from Aceh have reportedly been engaged in forest conversion activities within the Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL) in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, for the past 10 years, an official said Monday.

TNGL center head Harijoko said currently 554 Aceh refugee families continued to clear forested areas in the national park.

He said that in an effort to stop the forest conversion, his office planned to relocate the families to Solok regency in West Sumatra.

According to Harijoko, the plan has long been announced and was part of the central government’s program, but it has not yet been realized because Solok regental administration is still encountering problems to change the zoning of the relocation site for the refugee families.

“The planned relocation area is still a forest conservation area. It has not yet been released by the Forestry Ministry as an area which can be used for the interest of the Aceh refugees,” Harijoko told The Jakarta Post.

He said his office was optimistic that the relocation issue would be resolved by early next year.