Mentawai indigenous people refused permission Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) issued by the Minister of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, on 29 May. Permit covering 20 875 hectares in the area of the former MenLHK issued HPH concessions Andalas Madani Cooperative which has stopped operating since 2007.
Through Decree 2382 / Menhut-VI / BRPUK / 2015 on Forest Utilization Map Landing in West Sumatra, covering an area of 79 970 hectares of forest area in West Sumatra made Kemasyaratan Forest, Forest Village, Plantation Forest, Forests and Forest Indigenous People. Covering an area of 14 855 hectares for UPHHK-HA, 71 420 hectares for UPHHK-RE and HTI 20 875. The total area of lands designated 107 150 hectares of forest utilization.
Daily Executive Board Chairman SAFE Mentawai rapot Pardomuan said HTI will bring social problems related to land at the community level. As for the environment, large-scale land clearing will cause flooding in Siberut. “Because there are a number of rivers in the region,” said rapot September 7.
He considered, permits issued LHK Minister have denied the sovereignty of indigenous peoples to their communal territory because they had been there long before the present state in 1945. “Suddenly in 1970, forests in the Mentawai divided into lots into state forests, This hurts, “said rapot.
Not only indigenous, Mentawai Regional Government also rejected the permit. Early September, the Regent Mentawai Judas Sabaggalet has sent a letter of objection to the decree of the Minister of LHK ask revisited.
Head of Forestry Mentawai Binsar Saleleubaja said, there are two licenses in the former concession area KAM ie, Global Green for ecosystem restoration activities permits covering 49,000 hectares and PT. Leading biomass energy for industrial plantation wood pellets (wood waste processing for alternative energy) covering an area of 20 875 hectares.
“There is overlapping license on the land since before the area is the area of ecosystem restoration with a total area of 79 795 hectares in accordance Menhut SK, July 14, 2009, which will be managed by PT. Global Green. However in 2014, rose again the new license stating the Global Green area became 49,000 hectares. Though currently publishing stage SK IUPHHK Ecosystem Restoration, “said Binsar to 7 September 2015.
According Binsar, land clearing by HTI will affect the ecosystem of Siberut, because of high rainfall on the island with unstable soil characteristics and erosion could easily cause catastrophic flooding as happened in the last few years Siberut.
In addition, the Mentawai Regional Government plans to make a production forest area that has not been loaded into social forestry permit in the form of community forestry, forest villages and indigenous forest.
“This year we made a populist forest area of 145 hectares in Muntei and Maileppet in South Siberut, with a composition of 60 percent and 40 percent fruit plants mixed crops such as cloves, aim for the enrichment of the community land back,” said Binsar.
LGs rate, allocation of land use for the production of forest communities in small islands by the Minister LHK not appropriate because these lands have become a field of coconut and clove.
Spatial Mentawai which 82 percent has been the status of production forests and protected areas and only 18 per cent of the status of other land use (APL) cause difficulties local governments to build infrastructure such as roads.
“Therefore we ask the Minister LHK make room for local governments provide assessment and recommendations related to business licensing in the field of forestry as one knows that the head of the regional territory, regent,” said Binsar.
While Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai (YCMM), a local NGO that is active in the Mentawai also sent a letter requesting the review and revision of Decree No. 2382 / Menhut-VI / BRPUK / 2015, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Sept. 3.
YCMM director Roberta Sarogdok say, based on the history and origins of the land and forest in Siberut Mentawai including an indigenous-owned land comes from the discovery of land and forests that there was as yet no owner. Commonly called polak or leleu.
“So for the indigenous people of Mentawai, no land and forests can be categorized as land and state forests, except for land and forest voluntarily submit to their ever directly controlled by the state,” said Roberta, Sept. 3.
Since the 70s, Siberut be further exploited by the corporate state, but no significant impact on the welfare of society. “The people of Mentawai still many who are poor,” says Roberta.
YCMM alarming continuous exploitation of workers will increasingly have an impact on the ecology of Siberut because the last few years, several villages have become flooded, especially the area upstream as Rogdok, Salappak, Tinambu, Magosi, Muntei and Maileppet. Because the area is a former concession of PT. CPPS.
While flooding in Bojakan, Sotboyak, Mongan Poula and Sikabaluan the former concession areas HPH Andalas Madani Cooperative. Taileleu river that flooded Pei-Pei in Siberut Southwestern catchment area was once a GPA concession kostam KSU, KSU Kosum. River that flooded hamlet in the village Simoilaklak and Sirisurak Saibi, the catchment area is part HPH concession KAM. Sigapokna once operated in the area with concession Purimanuajat KSU 700 ha. In areas Malancan that one hamlet also experienced flooding, there was a former concession KUD Sikabaluan GPA and GPA KSU Partners GPA Sakato with a concession area of 1,200 ha. There was also a concession IUPHHK PT. Salaki Summa Sejahtera which is still actively operating.
Responding to the HTI license, Executive Director of WALHI West Sumatra Uslaini warned the government about the adverse impacts that will arise if HTI operates in Siberut.
“If the location of the former concession made KAM HTI then there will be land clearing which is bad for the ecology of Siberut. Mentawai that has become prone areas the earthquake and tsunami will be prone to increased flooding and landslides, “said Uslaini, September 8.
Ocha Mariadi
Journalists and NGO activists in Padang
