Press Release: Borneo Tribal Communities and ProFauna Met and Urged the Forestry Minister to Stop Deforestation in Kapuas Forest

(09/27/2010) Deforestation of natural forests in Kalimantan or Borneo Island keeps happening and threatening the wildlife and local people. A logging company, PT. Toras Banua Sukses has received a renewal permit to operate in Kapuas forest which threats the habitats and survival of some endangered wildlife including: Orang utans, proboscis monkeys, and sun bears, and also causes disputes to the local tribal people who depend their livelihood on the forest. For these reasons, ProFauna has facilitated the local communities of Dayak Kayaan and Taman campaigning against the operation and urging the government to stop the deforestation.

The logging activities have caused another natural disaster, flood, which has happened for 20 times for the past nine months. The local communities have also held three times of demonstration campaigns against the logging company. Furthermore, the locals have asked ProFauna to support them in saving the forests.

On 27 September 2010, ProFauna together with the tribal communities staged a demonstration where the locals wore their traditional costumes and performed a theatrical dance urging the Forestry Ministry to anul the permit of the logging company, PT. Toras and to conserve the remaining forest for local people and wildlife. The activists stretched two banners saying "Stop Deforestation in Kapuas - Kalimantan" and "Anul PT Toras Banua Sukses (the logging company)".

The next day on 28 September 2010, ProFauna and the tribal community team met the Forestry Minister, in Jakarta and urged the Minister to annul the operation permit of PT. Toras Banua Sukses. The minister responded that he would wait for the recommendation from the Governor of Kapuas. ProFauna Forest Campaign Officer, Radius Nursidi, stated, "The Minister should not wait for the recommendation because his Ministry is the authorized institution to give the logging company the permit. We are very sorry about this".

ProFauna and the local communities are actually supporting the regional government of Kapuas that has declared the region as a conservation area protecting its forests, wildlife, and other natural resources. Any potential effort in causing deforestation must be curbed.

For further information, please contact:

• Swasti Prawidya Mukti

  (International Affairs Officer, ProFauna Indonesia)
  Email: international@profauna.net
  Mobile: +62 856 369 3611