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A coalition of some of the country’s well-known NGOs has called on the Corruption Eradication Commission to investigate cases of alleged corruption in the forestry sector.

The coalition includes the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), Forest Network Rescue Riau (Jikalahari), Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Save Our Borneo (SOB), Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), Sawit Watch, Kontak Rakyat Borneo and Silvagama.

“[The commission] KPK must make corruption cases in the forestry sector one of its priorities,” M Teguh Surya from Walhi said on Friday.

Teguh said there were nine major cases suspected of causing losses to the country of Rp 6.66 trillion ($710 million).

The coalition, he added, wants the KPK to form a special task force to investigate cases involving forestry destruction.

“Illegal logging activities are controlled by top mafia and transnational crime syndicates. The worst damage to the forests is done by the illegal conversion of forest land and behind this activity are bad investors and top officials,” Teguh said.

Most illegal forest clearance was done to facilitate mining activity and new biofuel plantation areas, he said.

Under Central Kalimantan province’s revised Spatial Layout Plan for 2009, an estimated 7.8 million hectares of forest have been turned into palm oil plantations and mining areas, Teguh noted.

According to the Forestry Consolidation Bureau at the Forestry Ministry, 5.8 million hectares of forest in Papua have been damaged over the past six years. If that trend were to continue, the report estimated Papua would lose all forest covering by 2020.  

Antara