MAFIA TASK FORCES FIELDED TO FIGHT ILLEGAL LOGGING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 18 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is intensifying its efforts to fight illegal logging by involving mafia eradication task forces which are to investigate cases at court and in the field.          A presidential judicial mafia task force will look into lenient court verdicts so far handed down to illegal logging suspects while another task force on illegal logging mafia eardication  will be examining illegal logging practices in the field.          In the meantime,  President Susilo Bambang Yudhohono and the  relevant ministers will also observe directly areas where forests have been damaged. At the same time,  heads of regional governments, namely governors and district heads, are called on to make the necessary steps and account for damage to forests in their respective regions.          The president has over the past two weeks repeatedly expressed concern about illegal logging cases and called for cooperation with non-governmental organizations as well to help find antidotes to the predatory practices, saying that there was a mafia ring behind illegal logging.          "I believe  a mafia is behind the illegal logging activities. I call on the judicial mafia eradication  task force to also tackle this problem, reduce and put an end to these activities," he said before leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, to attend an Asean summit recently.          Earlier, when calling for continued efforts in the fight against illegal logging and deforestation, at a cabinet meeting held in Jakarta, last week, the President, also stressed the importance of cooperation with NGOs in the battle.          "Ask environmental non-governmental organizations to cooperate.  NGOs that really care for the environment, and a  good will to save the country, are our partners. We must not be controlled by the world. Let us conduct the control ourselves. It is us who should be more concerned about the safety of our country, children  and grandchildren," he said.          Following a limited cabinet meeting on forestry and environment on Friday, Yudhoyono ordered the Judicial Mafia Task Force to examine the light sentences passed by courts in illegal logging cases.          Informatics  and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring said, according to data, out of a total of  92 illegal logging cases handled in courts recently, 49 ended in acquittals,  24 with jail sentences averaging only  one year and 19 with jail sentences between  one and  two years.          "This will not have a  deterrent effect. Therefore,  the President has ordered the task force to examine the court verdicts  to see why they were so lenient," he said.          The President also asked  National Police chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Attorney General Hendarman Supandji about operations in the field against illegal loggers.          An illegal logging mafia task force made up of personnel from the police force, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and prosecutor's office will be fielded.          Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said that the illegal logging mafia task force would carry out auditing in all regions where illegal logging were still rampant and where forests had been turned into plantations without licenses from the forestry ministry.          "The task force will be fielded to carry out auditing of cases suspected to involve abuse of power by heads of regional governments, such as the issuance of licenses for the conversions of the functions of production   and  protected forests, and conversion of forests  into oil palm plantations," the minister said.          He said that he would hunt down the  illegal logging culprit in Kalimantan and Sumatra.          "We have succeeded in reducing illegal logging cases but we will continue to chase after the forestry criminals ," Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHKA), Darori said meanwhile.          The government move to act upon the mastermind of illegal logging is intended to reduce damages to forest.  According to Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan only 24 percent or 43 million of 130 million hectares of primary forests in the country still remained.          He said 40 million hectares were former production forests and half of them had been damaged or were in a critical condition. The rest was no longer forested land, he said.          Large-scale deforestation reached its peak in 2001-2002 following the euphoria of regional autonomy at a destruction rate of 3.5 hectares per year.          To overcome the problem, the government has no other choice but to conduct a tree planting movement jointly with the people with a forestation target of at least 500,000 hectares a year and a special program for investors to restore industrial forests with a target of at least 300,000 hectares a year.          In the meantime, the office of the Environment Ministry will also offer its assistance to fight illegal logging in cooperation with the forestry ministry, the mafia eradication task forces and police.         Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said his office was still collecting data and information to reveal the mafia behind illegal logging cases in the country so far.          If need be, the office of the environment minister would arrest illegal loggers and  brong them to justice, the minister said adding that his office would conduct an investigation in regions with major forests such as those in Kalimantan and Papua.      (T.A014/a/H-NG/a014) 19-04-2010 00:36: