From lplppr@centrin.net.id Tue Oct 21 04:17:43 1997 Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu (mx5.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.6]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id EAA46634 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 1997 04:17:41 -0700 Received: from jupiter.centrin.net.id (jupiter.centrin.net.id [202.146.255.3]) by mx5.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP id EAA07480 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 1997 04:17:38 -0700 Received: from default (PMjkt-201.centrin.net.id [202.146.255.201]) by jupiter.centrin.net.id (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id SAA19840; Tue, 21 Oct 1997 18:17:47 +0700 (GMT+0700) Message-Id: <199710211117.SAA19840@jupiter.centrin.net.id> From: "--" To: "bpost" Cc: "sripo" , "serambi" , , , Subject: forward massage Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 17:38:13 +0700 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Subject: Letter to the 9 Indonesian Ministers on Mega-Rice Project in C-Kalimantan To The Steering-team of the Peat Development Proyek of Central Kalimantan Chairman Ir. Drs. Ginanjar Kartasasmita State Minister for National Development Planning Jalan Taman Surapati no. 2 Jakarta Pusat Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-334779 Members, Ir. Radinal Muchtar Minister of Public Works Jalan Pattimura no. 20 Jakarta Selatan Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-7260769 Ir. Djamaluddin Suryohadikusumo Minister of Forestry Gedung Manggala Wana Bhakti Jalan Gatot Subroto, Senayan Jakarta Indonesia Telefax: 00-61-21- 5700226 / 5731820 Ir. Sarwono Kusumaatmadja Minister of Environment/Head Environmental Impact Management Agency Gedung Mentri Negara Lingkungan Hidup Jalan D.I. Panjaitan, Kebon Nanas Jakarta Timur Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-8580301 Ir. Siswono Yudohusodo Minister of Transmigration and Forest Dwellers Jalan Makam Pahlawan Kalibata no. 17 Jakarta Selatan Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-7989895 Yogie S. Memed Minister of Internal Affairs Jalan Merdeka Utara no. 7 Jakarta Pusat Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-3812221 Dr. Ir. Syarifuddin Baharsjah Minister of Agriculture Jalan Harsono M no.3 Ragunan Jakarta Selatan Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-7804237 Ir. Sony Harsono State Minister of Land Affairs/Head National Land Agency Jalan Sisingamangaraja no. 2 Jakarta Selatan Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-7250600 Dr. Mar'ie Muhammad Minister of Finance Jalan Lapangan Banteng Timur 2-4 Jakarta Pusat Indonesia Telefax: 00-62-21-3808384 Subject: THE MEGA-RICE PROJECT IN CENTRAL-KALIMANTAN; FOREST FIRES AND THE FATE OF WILDLIFE Brussels, October 17TH, 1997 Your Excellencies, The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is the largest international animal welfare organisation in the world today. With 1,8 million supporters and offices in 14 countries around the globe, IFAW works to protect animals and the environment, to preserve animal species from extinction and to prevent animal suffering and cruelty. Based on the above mentioned mission, we naturally wish to express our deep regret at the forest fires that have recently plagued your country and, we would like to offer any assistance within our power to relieve the plight of the affected human and animal populations who share dependence on the same ecosystem. In light of our mission and mandate we also take the liberty of addressing you on an issue in your country, which causes innumerable animals to suffer and die and threatens some species with extinction. We refer to the Mega-Rice Project of 1 million hectares in Central-Kalimantan. As you may know, the scientific community and nature conservationists worldwide, including those in Indonesia, were extremely concerned when in July 1995 the Government of Indonesia (GOI) announced the implementation of this project because the allocated area for the project, actually almost 1.5 million hectares, makes up part of the largest continuous peat-swamp floodplain in western Indonesia and is of paramount importance for millions of plant and wild animals. Peat eco-systems are well known for their extreme fragility and are important in providing natural resource functions such as water retention, storage and supply, flood mitigation, erosion prevention and pollution control. They are also a major reservoir of biodiversity and a refuge for rare and endangered animals and plants. In this latter context the peat swamp forests of Central Kalimantan harbour the largest continuous population of Orang-utan in the world, more than half of those in the whole of Borneo. Other animals, also protected by Indonesian law, include Long-nose apes (Bekantan or Nasalis larvatus), Owa apes (Hylobetes agilis) and Kelasi apes (Presbytis rubicunda). We, and many others concerned with wildlife protection have tried to understand the implementation of the mega project in the context of the noble aim of the Indonesian government to maintain self-sufficiency in rice production for the nation, which was achieved in 1986, and to consider whether the loss of an entire ecosystem containing countless plants and animals is justified in pursuing this aim. However, this search for understanding has, unfortunately, become largely hypothetical since we are now horrified by the forest fires which have been raging in many parts of Indonesia for several months and have already caused the destruction which we fear. The fires have not only become the source of illness for people in Indonesia and neigbouring countries (especially, Malaysia and Singapore), but are now, in fact, the latest suffering caused by mankind to the enormous numbers of animals living in the forest, such as mammals, birds and reptiles, some of which are peculiar to Borneo and which are unable to protect themselves from human misconduct. We are especially concerned about the fate of the Orang-utan, particularly symbolic to your Government's efforts in animal protection, since its inclusion in the Indonesian and international laws (CITES). We are writing to you in relation to the fate of those thousands of animals living in the forests of Central-Kalimantan that cannot defend themselves, particularly in those areas included in the Mega-Rice project. The current forest fires, apparently also raging in this area, are yet another major example of how unsympathetic handling of nature has produced a repetition of the same catastrophic impacts in Indonesia as previous forest fires in 1983 and 1994. The existence and life of these animals now depends on your immediate and effective intervention. We were relieved to learn that the Environmental Impact Assesment of the Mega-Rice project commissioned, by the Government of Indonesia from the renowned Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) was completed at the end of last year, although many experts, including those in Indonesia, have posed critical questions concerning its procedures and therefore its effectiveness. We sincerely hope, taking into account the effects of the latest catastrophe, that its findings and recommendations may at least form the basis for wise handling of the project in the future. After monitoring the situation for almost two years, undertaking consultations with a wide range of experts, outside as well as within Indonesia and conducting field investigations in some of the areas affected at the beginning of this year, we have come to the following worrying conclusions: 1. The IPB's original EIA documents have not been made public to date. What has been circulating instead is the version released by the Public Works Ministry which commissioned the IPB study and is the main implementation agency for the project. 2. The IPB's study concluded that 70% of the area planned for the project should be conserved for a range of environmental, economical and social purposes, one argument being that most of the soil is not suited for optimal and large scale rice farming purposes. We are worried that due to the increase in forest fires, the importance and requirements of wildlife and nature protection are being sub-ordinated to the establishment of infra-structure (e.g canal systems, roads), forest-clearing and settlements, even though this project involves nine ministries. Put another way, we are very concerned that the EIA recommendations on conservation made by the Bogor Agricultural Institute in its original EIA report are being downgraded by the Ministry of Public Works for its own operational and technical ends. It would also appear, that relevant ministries have not yet taken an active role in ensuring rightful implementation of these recommendations. These concerns are based on the fact that, despite the Decree by the Ministry of Environment on the Agreement of EIA, Environmental Management Planning and Regional Environmental Monitoring Planning dated May 23rd 1997, which emphasises responsible conduct in all of the Project's activities, we are still witnessing: 1. unchallenged logging operations by the so-called IPK- concessionaries (concession to utilise standing trees), even in areas such as Sungai Jaya which have been recommended as conservation areas. These IPK-holders not only have links with the timber industry, but also have connections with powerful forces in the political sphere, making it difficult to excert control over their activities. 2. IPK operations have caused unrest among local Dayak communities. The use of so-called "Racun-Ramin" (Ramin-poison) to conserve felled Ramin logs is not only responsible for the decrease and extinction of fish in the rivers over the years, but is now also believed to be the cause of severe toxic water pollution leading to the death of protected animal species such as Orang-utans, Bekantan apes (Nasalis larvatus) and Honey bears. 3. these IPK concessionaries have also now been implicated as major initiators of the recent forest fires. 4. logging operations and forest fires have driven animals such as Orang-utans and Long-nose apes (Bekantan) from their ever decreasing habitats. They enter village settlements and cause damage to gardens, which in turn leads to their capture and extermination. 5. human population control and the designation of areas for conservation seem to be regarded as problems for the future only, even though the urgency for immediate action has become ever stronger. For some years a "logging-migration" of people from neighbouring South Kalimantan province and Java, has posed another threat to the forests as illegal logging has become an "acceptable activity" while the forests are regarded as a "no-man's land", especially since forest management has been handed over to the IPK-holders. We are worried about the impact upon the forests of the coming transmigration programmes to the mega project areas and doubt that any of the present forest can be conserved if these go ahead. >From our investigations, we conclude that a situation of "free- logging" has been taking place for some years, instigated by IPK- holders and using former transmigrants and local Dayaks who have become more marginalized. All of this will jeopardise your policy for sustainable forest management and the future implementation of wildlife conservation and protection. Added to the effects of this situation, the current forest fires have not only disturbed and ravaged the forests, but have also drastically and irreversibly decreased nature. We are still convinced, however, that sustainability, as has often been stated by government officials, will be the key word for the Government of Indonesia and that nature conservation will be given appropriate attention throughout the country. With regard to the Mega rice project we therefore, respectfully, bring to your attention some proposals or suggestions which could lead to a "win-win situation" both for the economic and social position of the people involved, and for nature. First of all, we suggest, that in the light of the recent forest fires, the Indonesian Government seriously consider abandoning the Mega-Rice project altogether and look for other suitable areas. It might very well be that, after a complete picture of the effects of the fires has been established, other areas previously considered unsuitable will have altered so drastically that they might now serve as alternatives in the form of smaller scale schemes. Learning from the previous approach to the Mega-Rice project, we would now like to stress that search for alternative areas should be conducted carefully, taking into account the balance between development and nature conservation. Secondly, if this proves not to be a solution we urge you to use your power and influence to issue a decree, as a matter of urgency, which will authorise and legalize the establishment of conservation areas within and around the Mega-Rice Project. This decree should be made as soon as possible both in order to stop the activities described above and to prevent further mass cruelty to animals by mankind on Indonesian soil. The urgency of this decree is warranted by the fact that, as a consequence of the fires, Indonesia's nature has been devastated and will take a long time to recover, if at all. This is in the interest of people as well nature itself. For our part, we will be glad to offer you any support we can to assist the implementation of the above mentioned requests. Examples of this could be: the organisation of a conference to be held in your country where both Indonesian and international experts could give their opinion and advice on how to foster an integrated land management scheme in Central Kalimantan, in which all positive environmental, social and economic factors could be combined into a really effective sustainable management of the region. Other practical examples of how we might try to assist you are: the establishment of an ecological planning institute consisting of Indonesian and international experts, the establishment of a natural peat research centre, nature reserves, rehabilitation programs and stations for animals where they can be prepared for reintroduction into the wild. Despite the negative effects of past exploitation and the recent devastation caused by forest fires, we are convinced, that with good intentions and timely actions from all concerned parties, the ecological, social and economic value of this region can be retained for future generations. Your sincerely, Hemmo Muntingh Director Special Projects, IFAW Honorary Member of the European Parliament Founder, Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) .