ill log
IndonesiaUrges Malaysia to Crack Down on Illegal Loggers
Source: Asia Pulse, February 27, 2004
TRENGGALEK, E Java
The Indonesian government has asked Malaysia to play a more active role and impose stern sactions on those engaged in illegal logging, especially in the border regions shared by the two countries, a cabinet minister said. “We have also asked some other countries which have been accepting timber from illegal logging to do the same so that the actions would be very effective,” Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa, said here when inspecting locations under the National Forest Land Rehabilitation Movement (GNRHL) in Nganjuk and Trenggalek, East Java, on Thursday.
The minister said illegal logging activities had caused a great deal of worry, and even the Malaysian government had admitted that the smuggling of timber derived from illegal logging was difficult to control. According to him, witnesses said that some 1,000 trucks had been carrying smuggled timber from one point to another in the border region, while there are dozens of points as destinations. “Now we are having bilateral and informal talks with the Malaysian side. Hopefully, the illegal activities can be curbed, and we hope Malaysia would not only complain of the presence of haze from forest fire in Indonesian territory, but also help solve the illegal logging in from Indonesia,” Prakosa added.
He further said it is difficult to suppress or even eradicate these illegal practices in face of some obstacles such the lack of forest guards and weak law enforcement. mIndonesia has 120 million hectares of forested land, but only s 7,000 forest police personnel. Ideally, each police officer covers 1,000 hectares. (ANTARA)
