UPDATE - INDONESIA'S ILLEGAL LOGGING CHALLENGE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001961 SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/ENRC, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP USTR FOR DBROOKS USAID FOR ANE, EGAT BANGKOK FOR RDM/A NSC FOR CEQ CONNAUGHTON, VAN DYKE USFS FOR CMACKIE TREASURY FOR KBERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAID KGHG ECON PGOV ID SUBJECT: UPDATE - INDONESIA'S ILLEGAL LOGGING CHALLENGE REF: A. JAKARTA 935 ¶B. JAKARTA 778 ¶1. (U) Summary: Despite a number of recent seizures of illegal timber by Indonesian authorities, the challenge in containing Indonesia's illegal logging remains intense. The new Indonesian National Police Chief is expected to bring a renewed focus to his predecessor's campaign against environmental crimes including illegal logging. End Summary. Recent Enforcement Actions -------------- ¶2. (U) Recent seizures and arrests show that illegal logging remains at significant levels. This is despite successful actions against illegal logging, including a large joint operation with national forestry officials in April during which Indonesian National Police (INP) seized 19 vessels carrying 12,000 illegally harvested logs worth over $23 million (ref B) in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. In fact, the head of the forest protection service in West Kalimantan, Sunaryo, has spoken of the glaring reemergence of illegal logging in Ketapang and Kayong Utara District a couple months following that major seizure. ¶3. (U) Listed below are several cases of recent seizures in Indonesia. October: -- 14 October: An investigative police team in East Kalimantan seized 14,838 cubic meters of wood of questionable legality in West Kutai District. Police seized the timber from three different companies, based on information from the local community, because the timber included ironwood, which requires special permits and cannot be exported from Kalimantan. -- 11 October: In Ketapang, West Kalimantan, a quick reaction forest police unit (SPORC) seized 2,707 pieces of processed wood being transported by motorboat. The transporters were using valid documents issued to two companies for transportation and/or showing the origin of the timber. However, the head of the forest police unit said the documents had expired, indicating the smugglers had been using the papers repeatedly. The seized ship and timber are in the custody of SPORC headquarters in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and police are investigating the two companies listed on the documents. July: -------------- -- On August 1, the Marine police in West Kalimantan announced that they had seized 1065 pieces of processed timber from 2 businesses, as well as 3 ships/motorboats, during the months of June and July. The seized wood originated from Kayong Utara District, formerly part of Ketapang. The chief of the marine police of the West Kalimantan police said the seized wood had no valid accompanying documents showing their origin. -- On July 31, based on a tip off from the local community, police in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) intercepted a 1-ton sandalwood shipment to Surabaya that lacked official documents. Shortly before that, on July 25, a Customs patrol in Palu seized an illegal shipment of 179 pieces of black wood from Donggala, Central Sulawesi Province. According to press reports, the police and/or Customs foil similar smuggling attempts almost on a monthly basis. Encroachment Still Widespread -------------- ¶4. (U) The continued clearing of forests, including encroachment into protected areas, remains a challenge (ref A). According to Tandya Tjahjana, the head of Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan, encroachment and clearing in the park continues unabated, affecting 146,080 hectares of the 198,629-hectare park. He says the problem began in 2000, soon after a highway was built through the park to connect Bontang city to Sangatta, the capital of Kutai Timur District. ¶5. (U) In Riau, meanwhile, an over flight of two districts by journalists from Kompas newspaper on September 21 revealed open logging activity and sawmill operations. These were in areas of JAKARTA 00001961 002 OF 002 natural forest where authorities say there are no permits issued for logging. This reflects the authorities' lack of capacity to monitor and enforce laws, and the lack of political will to hold back unregulated economic development. New Police Chief Focused on Environmental Crimes -------------- --- ¶6. (U) Indonesia's new National Police Chief, Bambang Hendarso Danuri, is expected to maintain his predecessor General Sutanto's focus on economic crimes with an environmental impact. During his confirmation hearing before the Indonesian parliament in late September, Danuri specifically committed to tackle illegal logging, mining, and fishing, including through the improved policing of Indonesian waters. This focus is a continuation of his track record as Police Chief of the North Sumatra and South Kalimantan regional police offices, as well as head of the National Police's Criminal Investigative Division. In those positions, Danuri was known for his efforts to combat illegal logging and illegal mining as well as money laundering, which is usually associated with these and other transnational crimes. One of Danuri's most well known cases was the arrest of Adelin Lin, leader of a major illegal logging operation in North Sumatra with links to China. Many had previously considered Lis untouchable. HUME