By: Father Felix Amias MSC
Some time ago, there was news circulating about deforestation done by KORINDO Group with forest burning. They said it was monitored via satellite. In this case, I’m one of the people who go back and forth visiting Asiki and its surrounding area almost every month, because I come from the area and must always come home. The issue came up exactly on dry season. Forest fire in South Papua on dry season is a common thing, and can even happen along the road up until you reach Merauke city. And it’s not only KORINDO Group, but there are many other companies that have also cleared the forest for oil palm plantations.
According to what I saw throughout my experience, there are still parts of the forest protected as natural forest area and this has gained a big appreciation from the Minister of Environment (Ministry of Environment CSR AWARD 2013). In addition, awards were also given by BKPM-KOTRA CSE EXCELLENCE AWARD 2015 (Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board – Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency) and by the Governor of Papua (October 11th 2016) to KORINDO Group. Then how come suddenly there are comments on deforestation? I am only trying to give a balanced and fair overview about what happened here.
Between KORINDO Group Satellite and Indigenous People
Back to the matters of satellite, deforestation, and particularly forest fire, here are some notes that I would like to share:
If you ask about the smoke monitored via satellite, we would answer: Which smoke? If there’s a fire on dry season, that is a common thing here. This is a “flat-area” so when it is rainy season, the whole area would be covered with water and become green again. So where is the problem? I heard that this satellite issue has reached overseas (including the United States).
But have you ever thought about thousands of employees working here, Papuan children who go to school here, and the people whose health is being treated here? If KORINDO Group walk away, who is going be responsible for all of this? We are going to create new problems which are more fatal and deadly. I am sure people’s way of thinking here is not like that, because that will cause problems for many people.
KORINDO Group plans to build factories that produce “eating oil” in 2017. This means the cooking oil factory from South Papua, so the price would be cheap. Then the satellite issue hindered all the changes that are happening here. But we will keep going.
It is true that there are many complaints from the community about how the indigenous forest has many forms of life inside; animals, water sources, sacred places, and others that were said to be demolished by the company. But that could also happen because the people themselves do not possess indigenous land map. That is also caused by some members of the community who tried to keep the indigenous forest, but there are some who release the land without letting others know, then this became conflict among themselves.
Thus, the forest loss issue is the responsibility of us all, from the government as the one that provides permits for forest management, the investors as the one that conduct the forest management, and the local community itself.
*Pastor Felix Amias MSC is a native of Boven Digoel, Papua and currently lives in Papua.
