fPcN interCultural:

defenders of free tribal life

The full report (‘The Thousand-Headed Snake’ ) is available at http://www.eia-international.org/files/reports135-1.pdf Summary below from INCL newsletter and also from www.eia- international.org and www.telapak.org

Timber Smuggling from Indonesia Rises as Judicial Corruption Ensures Masterminds Behind US$20 billion Forest Crime go Unpunished

EIA/Telapak - March 28, 2007 Jakarta

One of the world’s biggest environmental crimes continues to unfold in Indonesia as efforts by the government to curb massive illegal logging are being severely undermined by a weak and corrupt justice system, environmentalists revealed today.

A new report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Telapak – entitled “The Thousand-Headed Snake” – exposes how corruption and collusion at all stages of the justice system, from the police and prosecutors to judges, conspires to ensure that the main culprits behind illegal logging in Indonesia remain at liberty.

Illegal logging has cost Indonesia around US$4 billion a year since the beginning of the decade, and is responsible for around 2.8 million hectares of forests being lost annually – one of the world’s worst deforestation rates. Despite such a huge crime taking place, there have only been a handful of successful prosecutions in the country.

The report reveals how an unprecedented anti-illegal logging operation in Papua Province in March 2005 failed to snare the powerful timber barons and their protectors in the police and military. Although the operation identified 186 suspects, by January 2007 only 13 convictions had been secured and none of these were the ringleaders. Of 18 major cases which made it to trial, all the defendants were cleared by the courts.

The report analyses the case of police officer Marthen Renouw, accused of corruption and money-laundering after payments of over US$100, 000 were made to his account by individuals involved in illegal logging. Despite overwhelming evidence Renouw walked free.

M Yayat Afianto of Telapak said: “The government has made some progress in combating illegal logging, but the results in terms of prosecution of the main culprits have been very poor. Without a strong deterrent the problem will get worse again as the timber barons realise they have nothing to fear.”

Recent investigations by EIA/Telapak in Indonesia, Malaysia and China reveal that after a dramatic reduction in timber smuggling from Indonesia in 2005, illicit timber is flowing out of the country again in increasing amounts. EIA/Telapak have identified new smuggling routes and methods, such as concealing stolen timber in shipping containers.

The new report also exposes how notorious timber barons, such as Abdul Rasyid from Kalimantan and Ali Jambi from Sumatra have made a fortune from timber theft and have never been seriously investigated.

Julian Newman of EIA said: “The story of illegal logging in Indonesia has been one of abject failure by the Indonesian justice system. A massive crime has taken place – the evidence is clear to see in the looted and destroyed forests – and hardly any of the main perpetrators have been held to account.”

EIA/Telapak also reveals how neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore benefit from forest crimes in Indonesia. Investigations show significant quantities of timber stolen from Indonesia entering Malaysia, including protected ramin wood and merbau from Papua Province. Singapore serves as an important financial and logistical hub for illegal logging, and provides a haven for criminals as it has no extradition treaty with Indonesia.

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Video and still images also available on request. Full version of the report ‘The Thousand-Headed Snake’ available at:
www.eia- international.org and www.telapak.org.

For further information, please contact:

* Julian Newman, EIA: +62 812 9986264 (mobile) Email: juliannewman@eia-international.org
* M. Yayat Afianto, Telapak: +62 811 107080 (mobile) Email: m-yayatafianto@telapak.org

Editor’s Notes:

* The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an independent environmental non-profit group based in London and Washington DC. More information at www.eia-international.org * Telapak is an independent environmental non-profit group based in Bogor, Indonesia. More information at www.telapak.org * The Indonesian government estimates the cost of illegal logging at Rupiah 30-45 trillion a year * (US$3.7 – 5.5 billion) * A recent report by the United Nations found illegal logging taking place in 37 out of Indonesia’s 41 National Parks. * Operation Hutan Lestari II was launched in Papua Province in March 2005 to tackle illegal logging. It ended in May 2005 with 186 suspects and around 400, 000 cubic metres of logs. * For information on Abdul Rasyid, see the EIA/Telapak report “Above the Law” (available at www.eia-international.org). * For background on Ali Jambi, see the EIA/Telapak report “Profiting from Plunder” (available at www.eia-international.org).

Region

• West Papua

Topic

• Exploitation