jakarta – Outrage is building in Indonesia following visual evidence of continued logging activity amidst ongoing flood recovery efforts in Sumatra. A member of Parliament publicly confronted the Forestry Minister Tuesday, presenting footage of a timber truck operating just days after devastating floods impacted Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. The incident has ignited a national debate over deforestation’s role in exacerbating natural disasters and the enforcement of lasting forestry practices [[1]], [[2]].
Jakarta –
A member of the Indonesian Parliament publicly expressed outrage Tuesday over images of felled trees being carried by floodwaters in Sumatra, demanding an end to destructive logging practices.
Siti Hediati Soeharto, known as Titiek Soeharto, displayed video footage during a meeting with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni showing a truck laden with massive logs. The footage surfaced shortly after devastating floods impacted areas of northern Sumatra.
“Mr. Minister, frankly, I am sad, shocked, and angry,” Soeharto said during the parliamentary session. “Imagine a tree that large, a diameter of 1.5 meters – how many years does it take for a tree to grow to that size? Who in Indonesia thinks it’s acceptable to simply cut down trees like that? What wrong did that tree do? It creates so much good for humanity.”
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Soeharto voiced particular concern over the timber transport occurring amidst the ongoing disaster in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, suggesting the company responsible was mocking the Indonesian people.
“What’s even more infuriating is that this truck was seen on the highway just two days after the floods,” she added. “And with the advancement of technology, this truck passed right before our eyes.”
“It’s truly painful, Mr. Minister. It’s… it’s like a slap in the face. This company is essentially making fun of us. We’re dealing with a disaster, and they’re driving right in front of us. This is something that is hurtful and insulting to the Indonesian people,” she continued.
|
Titiek Soeharto highlighted images of logs carried by floodwaters in Sumatra during a meeting with the Forestry Minister. (Dok. live YouTube DPR)
|
Soeharto stated she does not support merely postponing new permits for forest utilization, both for plantation forests and natural forests. She called for a complete halt to logging that harms the public.
“I don’t want, we don’t want, just a moratorium. A moratorium can be reactivated later. But it needs to be stopped. There should be no more of these large trees being cut down,” she said.
She reiterated her concerns about the logs carried by the floods, urging an end to logging practices that contribute to disasters.
“Enough is enough. This has to stop. It doesn’t matter who is behind it, whether they are stars or anyone else. We represent the Indonesian people. You, too, were appointed as an assistant to the president, who was chosen by the Indonesian people,” she concluded.
(dwr/lir)
