Timber Barons

Press Release: 6 June 2002

POLICE FAIL TO PROSECUTE TIMBER BARONS AND PLAN AUCTION OF STOLEN TIMBER

Three Chinese cargo ships which have been held in Jakarta with their crews and cargo of illegal logs for the last seven months are to be released according to reliable sources.

The ships were seized by the Indonesian Navy in November smuggling logs from Central Kalimantan. This case has been watched closely by international observers, including The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Telapak as a test case for the police and forestry ministry to see if the timber barons who own the illegal logs would be prosecuted. Over 25,000m3 of illegal logs worth about US$4 million are to be auctioned by the police on Friday.

“After seven months of so-called investigation, the Indonesian police have shown the world they are incapable of prosecuting powerful timber barons” said Dave Currey, Director of EIA today. “The illegal logs are on the ships, but the police claim they have no evidence. Last week President Megawati Sukarnoputri expressed her concern over illegal logging and we call on her to stop this auction, the release of the ships, and immediately set up an independent enquiry to investigate the police handling of this case.”

The three cargo ships - MV Rong Chen, MV Fonwa Star and MV Mandarin Sea were arrested by the Navy in November 2001 off the coast of Kalimantan. They were loaded with illegal logs. The Government of Indonesia imposed a log export ban in October 2001. The logs on the ships are believed to have come from Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan, famed for its orangutan population, where timber baron and parliamentarian Abdul Rasyid is accused of being behind much of the logging. Despite compelling evidence, Rasyid’s company Tanjung Lingga has been ignored by the police.

Efforts by the Ministry of Forestry to curb the destruction have been thwarted by a corrupt judiciary and different factions in the police.

“Indonesia’s forests are in their most critical condition ever, and it appears that collusion and corruption remain more important in Indonesia today than the future of its forest people, wildlife and water resources” said Dave Currey. “Prosecute the timber barons’ responsible for this cargo now, and some of us may still believe Indonesia has a hopeful future.”

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