Fidelis E. Satriastanti & Markus Junianto Sihaloho Jakarta Globe 14 Oct 10;
Jakarta. Ten civil-society groups, including Greenpeace, have called on the government to get serious about implementing a moratorium on issuing new logging concessions in critical areas.
The proposed two-year moratorium, set to begin in 2011, was announced earlier this year by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as part of a deal with Norway to fund UN-sponsored emissions-reduction (REDD) schemes in the forestry sector.
Kumi Naidoo, the executive director of Greenpeace International, said on Thursday that the moratorium offered a golden opportunity to suspend the devastation of Indonesia’s forests.
“We need to use the moratorium to engage public participation, proper research and look at all the alternatives, and also look at it in terms of the future of the palm oil industry,” he said.
“In terms of REDD and REDD Plus, there’s a danger that if we don’t use the moratorium period to actually agree on procedures on transparency, then resources from REDD Plus” could be lost.
Naidoo said that while Indonesia had reasonably good forest conservation laws, the problem was in enforcement.
“The inability of the government to police such massive areas allows a lot of loopholes to be exploited [by] certain industries,” he said.
Bambang Sukmananto, a senior Forestry Ministry official, said his office was keen to work alongside groups such as Greenpeace, which he said could not resolve the issues of deforestation by themselves.
“We’re after the same goal, but we have different points of view,” he said. “For us, it’s more than just the environmental issue. We also need to consider the economic impact.”
Meanwhile, Pramono Anung, a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, backed Greenpeace’s call for the government to make the best use of the moratorium period, and said more attention ought to be paid to environmental issues.
Speaking after the meeting with Greenpeace, Pramono said the House shared the same concern that Indonesian forests should be conserved.
“We agree with Greenpeace that special attention must be given to the forest moratorium in Riau and Kalimantan,” he said.
He added that the government must also tighten its supervision of the mining sector to minimize environmental damage from prospecting and mining.
Pramono also addressed complaints by Greenpeace that port authorities had denied the group’s ship, the Rainbow Warrior, entry into Indonesia.
The ship was supposed to dock at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta, but was turned away.
“I believe the government should have allowed the ship to dock,” Pramono said. “Denying this permission only hurts our country’s standing in the international community.”
He said the purpose of the ship’s visit was to educate Indonesian children about environment issues, so the visit should not have been prevented.
Greenpeace, RI NGOs call for full forest protection
Antara 15 Oct 10;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Greenpeace and several Indonesian NGOs working for biodiversity, human rights, climate protection and representing indigenous people, called on the Indonesian and Norwegian governments to close loopholes in a billion dollar deal to immediately implement a moratorium on all further natural forest clearance both within new and existing concession areas.
"It is not only what you do, but also what you do not do, for which you are accountable. The Indonesian government must ensure the protection of all peatlands, tropical forests, biodiversity and indigenous people. The devil is in the detail. Details of this deal will set a precedent for future agreements to end deforestation globally, so it must be watertight," said Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International here, Thursday (Oct. 14) as published on Greenpeace Southeast Asia`s official website.
Details of the US$1 billion deal are being negotiated after a letter of intent was signed in May this year by Norwegian and Indonesian Governments. As part of the agreement, Indonesia announced a two-year moratorium on any new concessions on conversion of natural forests and peatlands into plantations.
"Irrespective of the moratorium, vast areas of tropical rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands are still earmarked for destruction in Indonesia. To be effective, this deal must revoke all existing permits to clear within these areas," he added.
Current Government concessions and illegal logging are devastating Indonesia`s carbon-rich peatlands and rainforests for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations.
The clearing of peatlands and forests significantly contributes to climate change.
Indigenous people`s customary lands and rights have been violated, causing social conflict, and natural habitats of endangered species are dwindling.
"Today we provided Indonesian decision makers with what civil society organizations recognize as minimum criteria and indicators for an effective moratorium. Norway`s negotiations with Indonesia to end forest destruction and to protect peatlands could change the course of history and move us forward to solving some of the major crises of our time: tropical rainforest destruction, species extinction and climate change," said Berry Nahdian Forqan, Executive Director of Walhi.
Kumi Naidoo was speaking at a media briefing in Jakarta after the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior on its `Turn the Tide tour of Southeast Asia` was denied entry by the Indonesian government for no plausible grounds.
"We are saddened by this unfortunate turn of events. Greenpeace is as much Indonesian as it is Canadian, Dutch, Australian, Chinese or any other nation. We are an organisation dedicated only to global environmental protection and peace. We are an organisation that exists only at the wish of the global civil community," Kumi said.
Deforestation is responsible for about one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Ending deforestation must be central to a global strategy to tackle climate change, as it has the greatest potential to quickly deliver massive greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
The Rainbow Warrior`s two-and-a-half month voyage across Southeast Asia to promote a green and peaceful future began in Thailand on September 17, 2010 and will conclude in Philippines on November 30.
This visit to the region, the ship`s fourth, coincides with the 10th year anniversary of Greenpeace`s official presence in Southeast Asia - as well as the Rainbow Warrior`s first ever tour of the region, the `Toxics-Free Asia Tour` in 2000.
