above the law

ABOVE THE L AW

www.eia-international.org

Di Atas Jangkauan Hukum: Korupsi, Kolusi,

Nepotisme (KKN) dan Nasib Hutan Indonesia

Corruption, Collusion, Nepotism

and the Fate of Indonesia’s Forests

environmental investigation agency

telapakwww.telapak.org

Contents

Introduction 1

Law of the Jungle 4

The Untouchable Tanjung Lingga 17

The Plight of Tanjung Puting 28

Conclusions and Recommendations 35

Kesimpulan/ Rekomendasi 36

References / Referensi 37

AcknowledgementsEIA and Telapak would like to thank themany community groups, individuals andNGOs working together with EIA/Telapak on the illegal logging issue fortheir help in the compiling of this report.

EIA and Telapak would also like tothank the Richard and Rhoda GoldmanFund, Barbara Delano Foundation,Ruben and Elisabeth Rausing Trust,Winley Foundation, the Multi-stakeholder Forestry Programme(funded by DFID in collaboration withMoFor) and other donors for their kindsupport of our work.

Many thanks to Brian Emmerson and all at Emmerson Press for theprinting of this report (Emmerson Press tel: 01926 854400)

Designed by Clare Mellor at Full Stop([email protected])

Researched, Written and Edited by Dave Currey, Faith Doherty, SamLawson, Julian Newman, M.YayatAfianto, Hapsoro, Mardi Minangsari,and Arbi Valentinus.

Opinions expressed are of EIA andTelapak and acknowledgement ofsupport does not necessarily mean oursupporters hold the same views.

Front and back cover photos : © Dave Currey

Introduction

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IntroductionIndonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputrihas supported her Minister of Forestry andstated that “. . . we must give our forests achance to take a breath”. But tacit support isnot enough because no Minister alone has thepower to fight the deep cancer destroying allparts of Indonesia’s fragile future – corruption.

The President must personally ensure thather government acts against timber barons suchas Peoples’ Consultative Assembly (MPR)member Abdul Rasyid whose company standsaccused of being behind the destruction ofTanjung Puting National Park, transportingillegal logs, bribery, kidnap and violence.Without such figures being prosecuted andjailed for their crimes there is no hope orreason for underpaid officials to refuse a bribe.

Although poverty, economic collapse,provincial autonomy and many other factorscontribute to forest destruction, these are not atthe core of the problem. Forests are beingdestroyed because Indonesia is one of the mostcorrupt countries in the world and many in thepolitical, business and military elite are unwillingto surrender the wealth and power thatIndonesia’s natural resources have given them.

If being measured as one of the most corruptcountries in the world alongside Kenya and worsethan Azerbaijan were not bad enough news for

PengantarPresiden Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputritelah mendukung Menteri Kehutanan danmenyatakan bahwa “. . . kita harus memberikesempatan kepada hutan kita untukbernapas”. Namun dukungan tanpa tindakantidaklah cukup, karena Menteri seorang diritidak memiliki kekuasaan untuk memerangikanker parah yang merusak seluruh sendi masadepan Indonesia yang rentan, yaitu korupsi.

Presiden secara personal harus memastikanbahwa pemerintahannya mengambil tindakanterhadap cukong kayu seperti Abdul Rasyid,anggota MPR, yang perusahaannya beradadibalik perusakan Taman Nasional TanjungPuting, pengangkutan kayu ilegal, penyuapan,penculikan dan kekerasan. Bila tokoh sepertidia tidak dituntut dan dipenjarakan ataskejahatan-kejahatan yang dilakukan, makatidak ada harapan atau alasan bagi petugasbergaji kecil untuk menolak uang suap.

Walaupun kemiskinan, kehancuranekonomi, otonomi propinsi dan banyak faktorlainnya berperan dalam perusakan hutan,namun semua itu bukanlah akarpermasalahannya. Perusakan hutan terjadikarena Indonesia adalah salah satu negara yangpaling korup di dunia, di mana banyak elitpolitik, bisnis dan militer tidak mau melepaskekayaan dan kekuasaan yang mereka peroleh

Left: Orangutans arestruggling to survive.

“. . . we must giveour forestsa chance to take a breath.”President MegawatiSoekarnoputri,May 2002

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Indonesia, the reaction of the United Nationsspecial rapporteur on independence of thejudiciary should send honest investors scuttling toJakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport. Midwaythrough his visit Dato Param Cumaraswamy said:“I didn’t realize that the situation could be as badas what I’ve seen.”

EIA and Telapak have seen how blatantlydishonest some senior police officials can be,and how they do not even bother to hide it. We have experienced promises from the mostsenior members of the government that illegallogging in Tanjung Puting National Park wouldbe tackled and Abdul Rasyid arrested andprosecuted. But Rasyid still sits defiantly in theGolkar faction of the MPR and spreads hiscancer throughout Central Kalimantan andbeyond. Tanjung Puting, three years after thosefirst promises, and accepted as a test case forthe government, is struggling to breathe at all.

Given the staggering failures of theenforcement authorities, it is all the more amazingthat there has been a remarkable change inattitude and talent in the Ministry of Forestry atthe higher levels under Minister Prakosa.

Minister Prakosa announced a log export banin October 2001 and faced with littlecooperation from the Police, Ministry ofForestry officials teamed up with theIndonesian Navy to seize illegal log shipments.Three cargo ships were seized offPangkalanbun, Abdul Rasyid’s CentralKalimantan stronghold, together with 25,000m3

of illegal logs. After many attempts by theNational Police to release the ships and auctionthe cargo, the police finally won their battle inJuly 2002. There have been no prosecutionsdespite ample evidence of a company linked toAbdul Rasyid’s Tanjung Lingga Group beinginvolved in the loading of the ships. The

dari sumber daya alam Indonesia. Jika disejajarkannya Indonesia dengan

Kenya sebagai negara paling korup di duniaatau bahkan lebih buruk daripada Azerbaijanbukanlah suatu berita buruk bagi Indonesia,walau sepantasnya tanggapan dari pelaporkhusus PBB untuk peradilan independenmampu membuat investor yang jujur bergegaspergi melalui Bandara Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta.Ditengah-tengah kunjungannya, Dato ParamCumaraswamy mengatakan: “Saya tidakmenyangka bahwa situasinya sampai seburukyang saya saksikan.”

EIA dan Telapak telah menyaksikan betapasejumlah pejabat teras kepolisian melakukantindak penyimpangan secara terang-terangan,dan bahkan mereka tidak ambil pusing untukmenutup-nutupi kebusukan itu. Sebagian besarpejabat tinggi pemerintahan telah berjanji danmenyatakan tekad untuk menanggulangi illegallogging di Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting danmengatakan bahwa Abdul Rasyid akanditangkap dan dihukum. Akan tetapi hinggahari ini Rasyid masih bercokol di fraksi GolkarMPR dan menyebarkan kankernya di seluruhpenjuru Kalimantan Tengah, bahkan lebih luasdari itu. Tiga tahun setelah janji pertama yangdianggap sebagai batu ujian bagi pemerintah,Tanjung Puting semakin terpuruk untuk dapatterus bertahan.

Dibandingkan dengan kegagalan parapenegak hukum yang sungguh tak terperikanini, maka adanya perubahan besar pada sikapdan upaya para pejabat teras DepartemenKehutanan dibawah kepemimpinan MenteriPrakosa menjadi suatu hal yang luar biasa.

Pada bulan Oktober 2001, Prakosamengumumkan larangan ekspor kayu bulat.Kebijakan ini hanya mendapat sedikitdukungan dari pihak Kepolisian. PihakDepartemen Kehutanan melakukan upaya kerjasama dengan TNI Angkatan Laut dan berhasilmenangkap pengapalan kayu ilegal. Tiga kapalbarang yang memuat 25.000 m3 kayu ilegalditangkap di lepas pantai Pangkalanbun, yangmerupakan “wilayah kekuasaan” AbdulRasyid di Kalimantan Tengah. Berbagai upayaditempuh oleh pihak Kepolisian RepublikIndonesia untuk melepaskan kapal-kapaltersebut dan melelang muatannya. Akhirnya“pertarungan” tersebut dimenangkan olehpihak kepolisian pada bulan Juli 2002. Tidakada hukuman yang dijatuhkan walaupunterdapat banyak bukti keterlibatan perusahaanyang merupakan bagian dari Tanjung LinggaGroup milik Abdul Rasyid dalam pengapalankayu ilegal tersebut. Wartawan yang

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Below: Signing of UK-Indonesia MOU on illegal logging inLondon, April 2002.

TanjungPuting isstruggling to breathe at all

Introduction

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journalist who alerted the Ministry to the illegalcargo almost lost his life in a machete attack inPangkalanbun.

There have been sweeping changes ininternational political attitudes to illegal loggingover the last year, and to its credit the Governmentof Indonesia has been at the centre of many ofthese positive developments. New dialoguebetween Indonesia and timber consuming nationshas already resulted in concrete action plans totackle illegal logging in Indonesia and to close themarkets for illegal timber.

In July 2002 Minister Prakosa signeddecrees paving the way for his stated goal ofonly allowing forest concessions that operatelegally and sustainably. The Minister for theEnvironment Nabiel Makarim has announcedthe formation of a special illegal logging teammade up of investigators, lawyers and judgesand the Minister of Trade and Industry hasteamed up with the Ministry of Forestry tofight illegal logging.

If implemented, these are all steps in the rightdirection, but at the moment the destructioncontinues unabated. Now is the time forleadership against corruption from the President’sOffice. Honest and proactive reformist officialsdesperately need support from honestenforcement officers, prosecutors and judges. Atthe moment the world looks at Indonesia andsees endemic corruption. The President needs toflush out the best and most incorruptible peoplein the enforcement authorities and the judiciaryand set them to work. This is the only way theforests and the people of Indonesia will have achance to take a breath.

Dave Currey, Director, EnvironmentalInvestigation Agency (EIA)

Hapsoro, Coordinator of Natural ResourcesManagement Unit, TELAPAK

October 2002

melaporkan ke Departemen Kehutanan tentangadanya pengapalan ilegal tersebut hampir tewasdiserang dengan mandau di Pangkalanbun.

Perkembangan sikap politik internasionalterhadap illegal logging telah menunjukkanperubahan yang jelas, dan pemerintahIndonesia menjadi fokus banyak perkembanganyang positif tersebut. Pembicaraan baru antaraIndonesia dan negara-negara konsumen kayutelah membuahkan suatu rencana aksi untukmenanggulangi illegal logging di Indonesia danpenutupan pasar bagi kayu ilegal.

Pada bulan Juli 2002, Menteri KehutananPrakosa menandatangani kesepakatan yangmerupakan jalan pembuka untuk mewujudkancita-cita bahwa pemberian ijin pengusahaanhutan hanya diberikan pada yang beroperasisecara legal dan berkelanjutan. MenteriLingkungan Nabiel Makarim telahmengumumkan pembentukan suatu tim khususyang telah bekerja sama dengan DepartemenKehutanan untuk memerangi illegal logging danterdiri dari penyidik, pengacara, hakim, sertapihak Departemen Perdagangan dan Industri.

Jika diterapkan secara sungguh-sungguh,langkah-langkah tersebut akan menuju ke arahyang tepat, akan tetapi pada saat yang samakerusakan hutan tetap terus berlangsung.Sudah saatnya Presiden mengambil alih kendaliuntuk mengenyahkan korupsi. Pejabat reformisyang jujur dan proaktif sangat perlu mendapatdukungan dari aparat penegak hukum, jaksadan hakim yang jujur. Pada saat ini mata duniatertuju pada Indonesia dan yang terlihat adalahkorupsi yang merajalela. Presiden perlumenempatkan insan terbaik dan yang tidakterseret dalam pusaran korupsi dalam jajaranpejabat penegak hukum dan peradilan. Ini satu-satunya cara untuk memberi kesempatankepada hutan Indonesia dan juga manusiaIndonesia untuk dapat bernapas.

Dave Currey, Direktur, EnvironmentalInvestigation Agency (EIA)

Hapsoro, Koordinator Unit Kerja PengelolaanSumber Daya Alam Hayati, TELAPAK

Oktober 2002

Left: Timber baronAbdul Rasyid sits inthe Parliament (MPR)and spreads hisinfluence.

Now is thetime forleadershipagainstcorruptionfrom thePresident’sOffice

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Law of the Jungle

Justice for SaleThe failure of the authorities to prosecutesenior officials and timber barons blatantlyplundering Indonesia’s dwindling forests comesas no surprise to those familiar with Indonesia’srampantly corrupt judicial system. Corruptionwas a cornerstone of the authoritarian rule offormer dictator Soeharto. Since his downfall in1998 the formerly centralised system ofcorruption, collusion and nepotism has mutatedinto a regional phenomenon, creating apowerful regional elite. The reformationmovement has patently failed to tacklecorruption. Transparency International’s latestIndex ranks Indonesia at 96 out of 102countries, marking it as one of the most corruptcountries in the world.1

Even the United Nations’s specialrapporteur on the independence of judges andlawyers, Dato Param Cumaraswamy,commented on his recent visit to Indonesia: “I didn’t realize that the situation could be asbad as what I’ve seen.”2 Indonesia CorruptionWatch’s (ICW) report “Lifting the Lid on theJudicial Mafia” states: “[The] court mafiainvolves all actors . . . from the police, court

Hukum Rimba

Keadilan DiobralKegagalan pihak berwenang untuk menuntutpara pejabat tinggi dan raja kayu yang secaraterang-terangan menjarah hutan Indonesia yangsemakin menyusut, bukan suatu kejutan bagimereka yang tahu betapa korupnya sistemperadilan Indonesia. Korupsi merupakanlandasan kekuasaan otoriter mantan diktatorSoeharto. Sejak kejatuhannya pada 1998,sistem korupsi, kolusi dan nepotisme yangsemula terpusat berubah menjadi fenomenaregional dengan menciptakan elite daerah yangberkuasa. Gerakan reformasi jelas gagalmenanggulangi korupsi. Indeks TransparencyInternasional terbaru menempatkan Indonesiadi urutan ke-96 dari 102 negara, artinyaIndonesia termasuk salah satu negara terkorupdi dunia.1

Bahkan pelapor khusus PBB tentangIndependensi hakim dan pengacara, DatoParam Cumaraswamy, berkomentar tentangkunjungannya baru-baru ini di Indonesia:“Saya tidak menyadari bahwa situasinyasampai seburuk yang saya saksikan.”2 LaporanIndonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) “Lifting theLid on the Judicial Mafia” menyatakan: “Mafia

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Right: Illegal logging is destroying the lastvirgin Indonesianforests.

“I didn’trealize that thesituationcould be as bad aswhat I’veseen”Dato ParamCumaraswamy,special rapporteur onthe independence ofjudges and lawyers,August 2002

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administrators, lawyers, prosecutors, to judgesand prison guards.”3

On publication of TransparencyInternational’s “Corruption Perceptions Index2002” its chairman Peter Eigen stated:“Politicians increasingly pay lip-service to thefight against corruption but they fail to act . . .corrupt political elites in the developing world,working hand-in-hand with greedy businesspeople and unscrupulous investors, are puttingprivate gain before the welfare of citizens andthe economic development of their countries.From illegal logging to blood diamonds, we are seeing the plundering of the earth and itspeople in an unsustainable way.”4

A clear link exists between corruption andthe fate of the environment. Pioneering workconducted by the Yale Center forEnvironmental Law and Policy measured 22key factors indicating a country’s environmentalperformance, or Environmental SustainabilityIndex (ESI). The ESI was compared against 67 quality of life measures, such as infantmortality and percentage of protected land in a country.

Of the 67 variables corruption had thehighest correlation with environmentalperformance, showing that countries with lowcorruption rates are better able to managenatural resources and that the rule of law is a key

peradilan melibatkan semua aktor . . . daripolisi, administrator peradilan, pengacara,jaksa, hingga hakim dan penjaga penjara.”3

Dalam publikasi Transparancy International“Corruption Perceptions Index 2002” PeterEigen, ketuanya, menyatakan: “Politikussemakin sering mengobral retorika memerangikorupsi, namun tidak ada tindakan yangdiambil . . . para elit politik korup di negaraberkembang bekerja sama dengan pelaku bisnisyang rakus dan investor tak bermoral,mendahulukan keuntungan bagi diri sendiriketimbang memikirkan kesejahteraan rakyatdan membangun perekonomian negara mereka.Dari illegal logging hingga penambanganberlian yang penuh tragedi berdarah, kitamenjadi saksi penjarahan bumi dan insannyadengan cara yang merusak.”4

Terdapat hubungan jelas antara korupsidan nasib lingkungan. Penelitian yangdilakukan oleh Yale Center for EnvironmentalLaw and Policy mengukur 22 faktor kunciyang mengindikasikan kinerja lingkungansebuah negara, atau Indeks KeberlanjutanLingkungan (Environmental SustainabilityIndex = ESI). ESI lalu dibandingkan dengan 67 kriteria mutu kehidupan, seperti mortalitasbayi dan persentase daerah yang dilindungi di suatu negara.

Dari ke-67 variabel, korupsi memilikikorelasi tertinggi dengan kinerja lingkungan,yang menunjukkan bahwa negara dengantingkat korupsi rendah memiliki kemampuanlebih baik dalam mengelola sumber daya alamdan bahwa penegakan hukum merupakanfaktor kunci dalam menyokong keberhasilanlingkungan.5

Dalam sektor kehutanan Indonesia, korupsiyang merajalela di seluruh pelosok negaramudah terlihat. Polisi yang menyelidiki illegallogging di Taman Nasional Tanjung Putinggagal menyeret para penjahat besar yangmenguasai illegal logging di daerah tersebut.Meski demikian tukang perahu, penjaga toko,anak sekolah, polisi dan politikus semua tahutampang para penjahat tersebut. Para penjahatdan petugas korup antek-antek mereka takterjangkau oleh hukum.

Ketika tiga kapal barang Cina ditangkapdengan muatan 25.000 meter kubik kayu ilegal,terjadi pertarungan panjang antara parapetugas Departemen Kehutanan, yang telahmengumpulkan bukti dan ingin menuntut parapelakunya, dengan para perwira polisi senior.Dalam sepucuk surat kepada Menteri Luar Negeri mengenai kasus ini, BrigadirJenderal Polisi Trimada Dani menyatakan:

Left: Abdul Rasyidwas nominated to theParliament by theGolkar Party.

“Politiciansincreasinglypay lip-service to the fightagainstcorruptionbut they failto act . . .”Peter Eigen, ChairTransparency International 2002

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factor underpinning environmental success.5

In Indonesia’s forest sector it is easy to seecorruption at work across the country. Policeinvestigating illegal logging in Tanjung PutingNational Park have failed to prosecute the majorcriminals who control illegal logging in thisregion. Yet boatmen, shopkeepers, schoolchildren,police and politicians all know the cast of criminalcharacters. These criminals and their corruptofficial lackeys are above the law.

When three Chinese cargo ships were seizedwith 25,000 m3 of illegal logs on board therewas a constant battle between the Ministry ofForestry officials who had gathered evidenceand wanted prosecutions and senior policeofficials. In a letter sent by Police BrigadierGeneral Trimada Dani to the Ministry ofForeign Affairs about this case he stated: “The ships cannot be arrested because there isno evidence that these three ships had beenused to transport the logs”.6 This statementshows the surreal nature of law enforcement inIndonesia, as the ships had been under arrestin a port in Jakarta for five months with theillegal timber still on board. The ships werecaught red-handed by the Indonesian Navycarrying logs without legal documentation andafter the government had imposed a logexport ban. It was difficult to see what furtherevidence was required.

In meetings to determine the fate of theships and the cargo, police officials insisted onauctioning the timber at the earliest

“Kapal-kapal tersebut tidak dapat ditahankarena tidak ada bukti bahwa ketiga kapalitu digunakan untuk mengangkut kayu”.6

Pernyataan ini memperlihatkan keanehanpenegakan hukum di Indonesia, karena ketigakapal tersebut ditahan di sebuah pelabuhan diJakarta selama lima bulan lengkap denganmuatan kayu ilegal itu. Ketiga kapal itutertangkap basah oleh patroli Angkatan LautIndonesia ketika membawa kayu bulat tanpadisertai dokumen resmi dan setelahPemerintah Indonesia menetapkan laranganekspor kayu bulat. Karena itu, sulitdimengerti, bukti apa lagi yang diperlukan.

Dalam pertemuan untuk menentukannasib kapal-kapal dan muatannya, parapejabat kepolisian bersikeras untukselekasnya melelang kayu curian tersebut.Brigadir Jenderal Polisi Suyitno LS, kepalareserse tindak pidana khusus (MABESPOLRI) untuk menangani kasus ketiga kapalbarang tersebut, juga terlibat dalam pelepasanpengapalan kayu ilegal lainnya. Suyitnomemerintahkan agar sekitar 5.000 meterkubik kayu curian yang ditangkap di perairankepulauan Bangka-Belitung, diijinkan untukmelanjutkan perjalanan ke tujuan semula,yaitu Pontianak di Kalimantan Barat.7 Sekalilagi, keputusan ini berpihak kepada parapenjahat yang terlibat dalam kasus itu.

Bahkan meskipun polisi melakukanpenyelidikan sebuah kasus dengan semestinyadan membawanya ke pengadilan, keadilan

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Right: Illegal logsseized on board theMandarin Sea.

“ The shipscannot bearrestedbecausethere is noevidencethat thesethree shipshad been used totransport the logs”Police Brig. Gen.Trimada Dani.

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opportunity. Brigadier General Suyitno LS,chief of a special police investigations unit(MABES POLRI) assigned to the case of thethree cargo ships, is also implicated in therelease of another shipment of illegal logs.Suyitno ordered that about 5000 m3 of stolenlogs seized off Bangka-Belitung islands,Sumatra, be allowed to continue their journeyto their original destination, Pontianak in WestKalimantan.7 Once again this decision favoursthe criminals involved in the case.

Even if the police properly investigate a caseand it comes to court justice remains elusive.Court corruption is so well organised accordingto ICW that you can choose which “package”to see your case through court. This couldinclude seeing the prosecutor, which is thesimpler “all-in package” who will arrange thecharges and the verdict for you. If a defendantfinds the verdict postponed it indicates that thedefendant needs to approach the judge who willexpect “hard work money”. Or, for thosemarathon court hearings everything can bearranged from witnesses and evidence, tojudges’ questions and defendant’s answers.8

Legal observer Luhut M. P. Pangaribuan states:“Bribery has now become common practice inour judiciary. The judiciary can be bought likea commodity.”9

Both Minister of Forestry Dr Muhammad

tetap tidak jelas. Menurut ICW, korupsiperadilan terorganisasi begitu baik, sehinggaAnda dapat memilih “paket” bagi kasus Andadi pengadilan. Salah satunya adalah “paketlengkap” sederhana, yaitu bertemu denganjaksa yang akan mengatur dakwaan dantuntutan terhadap tergugat. Bila pembacaantuntutan hukuman ditunda, itu merupakantanda bahwa tergugat harus mendekati hakimyang berharap mendapatkan “uang lelah”.Atau, untuk sidang-sidang maraton, segalasesuatunya dapat diatur, mulai dari saksi danbukti, hingga pertanyaan hakim dan jawabantergugat.8 Pengamat hukum Luhut M.P.Pangaribuan mengatakan: “Sekarang suapmenjadi praktek lazim dalam pengadilan kita.Pengadilan dapat dibeli seperti sebuahkomoditi.”9

Menteri Kehutanan DR. MuhammadPrakosa dan Menteri Lingkungan HidupNabiel Makarim sama-sama mengakui bahwakorupsi di departemen mereka dan dikalanganpenegak hukum telah berakar sedemikan rupasehingga sulit untuk menuntut mereka yangmengorganisasikan illegal logging. Kepala birohukum Departemen Kehutanan, Suprayitno,mengatakan: “Anda tahu bahwa para cukongtersebut sangat berkuasa secara finansial.Banyak petugas dan pejabat keamanan justrumelindungi mereka.”10

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Left: Documentsclearly show that the ships were bound for China.

“ Briberyhas nowbecomecommonpractice in ourjudiciary.Thejudiciarycan bebought like acommodity.”Legal observer Luhut M. P. Pangaribuan,August 2002

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Prakosa and Environment Minister NabielMakarim have acknowledged that corruptionwithin their ministries and amongst lawenforcement officers exists to the point that it isdifficult to prosecute those organising illegallogging. Head of the Ministry of Forestry’s legalaffairs department Suprayitno said: “You knowthose financiers are very powerful financially.Many of our security personnel and officials areprotecting them.”10

Military CollusionMilitary involvement in illegal activities is takenfor granted in Indonesia. Hundreds of reportsof military involvement in illegal logging haveemerged and there is recognition of this seriousproblem within government. Reports ofmilitary personnel owning illegal sawmills,backing timber barons, and applying pressurefor the release of confiscated logs are commonand widespread. For instance research carriedout in 1999 found that out of 25 illegalsawmills operating near Bukit TigapuluhNational Park in Sumatra, 13 were backed bythe armed forces.11

In West Papua testimonies have beencollected from villagers who had their timberstolen by military personnel. Many of themclaim to have been threatened or beaten andthe testimonies describe systematic bullying,violence and rape. According to Elsham NewsService, one of their Papuan sources spokewith military personnel who conceded thatthose brought into Papua from outside areallowed by the military top brass “to conducttimber and logging trade / business to sustain

Kolusi MiliterKeterlibatan militer dalam aktivitas ilegalsudah dianggap biasa di Indonesia. Munculratusan laporan tentang keterlibatan militerdalam illegal logging dan kalanganPemerintah pun mengakui masalah serius ini.Laporan tentang anggota militer yangmemiliki usaha penggergajian ilegal,melindungi cukong kayu, dan menekan agarkayu sitaan dilepaskan, dianggap sebagaipraktek yang merajalela dan sudah biasa.Sebagai contoh, penelitian yang dilakukanpada 1999 menemukan bahwa dari 25 usahapenggergajian ilegal yang beroperasi dekatTaman Nasional Bukit Tigapuluh di Sumatra,13 di antaranya dilindungi oleh angkatanbersenjata.11

Di Papua Barat penduduk desamelaporkan kayu-kayu mereka dicuri olehanggota militer. Banyak yang mengaku telahdiancam atau dipukul dan kesaksian merekamenggambarkan gertakan, kekerasan danpemerkosaan yang dilakukan secarasistematik. Menurut Elsham News Service,salah satu nara sumber mereka di Papuaberbicara dengan anggota militer yangmengaku bahwa pucuk pimpinan merekamengijinkan anak buahnya yang berasal dariluar Papua “berbisnis kayu guna mendukungkebutuhan hidup sehari-hari tentara.”12

Hal ini tidak terlalu mengejutkanmengingat situasi keuangan militer Indonesiayang tersebar di seluruh penjuru. Militerhanya menerima sekitar seperempat

Right: Primkopad isan army cooperativeowning a sawmill inSurabaya.

“You knowthosefinanciers are verypowerfulfinancially.Many of oursecuritypersonnelandofficials areprotectingthem.”Suprayitno, Ministry ofForestry Legal Affairs,August 2002

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troops’ daily expenses.”12

This is hardly surprising given the fundingsituation of Indonesia’s sprawling military. Themilitary only receives about a quarter of itsfinances from the government defence budget –the rest has to be pulled together from legal andillegal business enterprises run by the militaryitself. It is reported that about 65 per cent ofthese enterprise funds are siphoned off, leavingsoldiers to run their own businesses. Thesebusinesses are often beyond the law andencompass activities such as illegal logging,illegal sawmills, mining, smuggling, gambling,drugs, prostitution and extortion.13

A number of foundations manage thebusiness empire of the army (TNI). A reportpublished in May 2001 concluded that none ofthe foundations created to assist the welfare ofmilitary personnel had in fact done so.14

Forests’ Last StandIllegal logging has taken over virtually everyforest in Indonesia, with protected areas andNational Parks bearing the brunt of unbridledtimber extraction. These ecologically vital

kebutuhan belanjanya dari anggaranpertahanan negara – sisanya harus diperolehdari usaha bisnis resmi dan ilegal yangdijalankan militer. Dilaporkan bahwa sekitar65 persen dana usaha tersebut diselewengkan,sehingga para prajurit harus menjalankanbisnis mereka sendiri. Bisnis tersebut seringtak terjangkau hukum dan mencakup beragamaktivitas seperti ilegal logging, penggergajianilegal, penambangan, penyelundupan,perjudian, bisnis narkoba, pelacuran danpemerasan.13

Sejumlah yayasan mengelola kerajaanbisnis TNI. Sebuah laporan yang diterbitkanpada Mei 2001 menyimpulkan bahwa taksatu pun dari yayasan-yayasan yang dibentukuntuk membantu kesejahteraan anggotamiliter telah melaksanakan tugas sebagaimanamestinya.14

Tegakan Hutan TerakhirNyaris seluruh hutan Indonesia tak luput daripenjarahan illegal logging, sampai-sampaidaerah suaka dan Taman Nasional pun takmampu membendungnya. Di kawasan lindungyang sangat penting secara ekologis ini seringdijumpai spesies kayu yang sangat berhargadan secara harafiah merupakan tegakanterakhir hutan Indonesia.

Pola yang sama berulang di seluruhpenjuru negeri. The Jakarta Post melaporkanbahwa illegal logging merajalela di TamanNasional Gunung Leuser (Sumatra Utara danAceh), Taman Nasional Kerinci-Seblat (Riau,Jambi, Bengkulu, Sumatra Barat, SumatraSelatan) dan Taman Nasional Lore Lindu(Sulawesi Tengah).15

Tentang Kerinci-Seblat Gubernur JambiZulkiffli Nurdin menyatakan: “Saya mendapatbanyak laporan bahwa hampir setiap malam,sekitar 30 truk mengangkut kayu gelondongandari kawasan lindung.”16 Di SulawesiTenggara, Gubernur La Ode Kaimoeddinmengatakan bahwa ratusan orang menjarahTaman Nasional Rawa Aopa Watumohai danhutan lindung di tiga Taman Nasional lainnyadi Propinsi itu telah dikonversi menjadiperkebunan kelapa sawit.17 Di Jawa Timur,Gubernur Imam Utomo menyalahkan illegallogging, pembukaan lahan dan ketiadaanprogram reboisasi yang serius bagi 23 persenkawasan hutan yang berada dalam kondisikritis di Jawa Timur.18 Para pengamat diLampung menyatakan bahwa 60 persenTaman Nasional Bukit Barisan rusak parahakibat dijarah.19

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Left: Illegal loggers in Gunung LeuserNational Park.

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Di Kalimantan Barat, Taman NasionalGunung Palung telah rusak parah dan illegallogging besar-besaran terus berlangsung diTaman Nasional Tanjung Puting di KalimantanTengah. Diperkirakan bahwa hutan dataranrendah di Sumatra akan habis pada tahun 2005dan di Kalimantan pada tahun 2010.20

Perubahan lingkungan yang menghantamIndonesia akibat illegal logging adalah seriusdan mengancam jiwa. Banjir bertambah parahdisertai tanah longsor yang menewaskanpenduduk desa dan menghancurkan jaringanjalan dan rumah-rumah. Pembakaran kawasanhutan yang baru ditebangi menimbulkan kabutasap yang mengganggu pernapasan ribuanwarga di Kalimantan dan Sumatra. Penebangandi daerah resapan air menyebabkantercemarnya persediaan air dan turunnyapermukaan air tanah.

Di Sumatra Utara, proyek PLTA Renunyang diperkirakan selesai pada tahun 2005,terancam oleh illegal logging. Jumlah air yangmengalir telah berkurang drastis. Seorang jurubicara Kantor Proyek Tenaga Listrik di SumatraUtara memperingatkan bahwa jika penebanganterus berlanjut, “pembangkit tidak akanmampu menyediakan listrik bagi jutaan industrirumahan dan ratusan hektar sawah di hilirsungai terancam puso.”21

Kegagalan di Dalam NegeriSalah satu perubahan besar sejak 1998 adalaharus informasi yang tersedia bagi para pejabatdan petugas penegak hukum untukditindaklanjuti. Informasi menyeluruh tentangpenebangan liar telah dikumpulkan dandisebarluaskan oleh masyarakat, Ornop,wartawan dan kalangan industri. Informasiyang melimpah ini seharusnya memudahkanpenuntutan penjahat, akan tetapi korupsi yangmengakar mengecilkan dan menekan suarapara pihak terlibat. Kadang-kadang, penebangliar atau pengangkut kayu didenda, meskipunjarang sekali akibat kejahatan yang merekalakukan. Yang sering terjadi mereka ditahankarena tidak memberi uang suap kepadapetugas, atau karena dicurangi pesaing mereka.

Pemerintah menanggapi situasi ini denganucapan keras dari Presiden dan para anggotakabinet, tanpa aksi yang nyata. Petugas-petugasyang bertanggung jawab dan memiliki tekad diDepartemen Kehutanan dan departemen terkaitlainnya sangat sedikit jumlahnya dibandingkanpara petugas korup yang masihmenggantungkan pendapatan mereka dariaktivitas-aktivitas ilegal yang berhubungan

sanctuaries often contain the most valuabletimber species and are literally the last stand forIndonesia’s forests.

The pattern is the same across the country.The Jakarta Post has reported that illegallogging is rampant in Gunung Leuser NationalPark (North Sumatra and Aceh), Kerinci-SeblatNational Park (Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu, WestSumatra, South Sumatra), and Lore LinduNational Park (Central Sulawesi).15

The Governor of Jambi Zulkiffli Nurdin,talking about Kerinci-Seblat stated: “Manyreports have reached me that almost everynight, some 30 logging trucks transport logsout of the protected reserve”.16 In Southeast

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Below: Log raft onSeruyan River nearTanjung PutingNational Park, CentralKalimantan.

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Sulawesi Governor La Ode Kaimoeddin saidthat hundreds of people had invaded the RawaAopa Watumohai National Park and thatprotected forests in three other National Parksin the Province have been converted to oil palmplantations.17 In East Java Governor ImamUtomo blamed illegal logging, land clearanceand the absence of a serious reforestationprogramme for the critical condition of 23 percent of forested areas in East Java.18 Observersin Lampung have claimed that 60 per cent ofBukit Barisan National Park has been seriouslydamaged by illegal encroachment.19

In West Kalimantan Gunung PalungNational Park has been seriously damaged andrampant illegal logging continues in TanjungPuting National Park in Central Kalimantan.Estimates suggest that lowland forest inSumatra will be exhausted by 2005 and inKalimantan by 2010.20

The environmental changes that have hitIndonesia due to illegal logging are serious andlife-threatening. Flooding has becomenoticeably worse with landslides killingvillagers and destroying roads and houses.Areas logged have been burned causing chokingsmoke and respiratory problems for thousandsof residents in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Watersupplies have been poisoned and water tableslowered where logging has occurred incatchment areas.

In North Sumatra the Renun hydropowerproject, which is expected to be completed in2005, is threatened by illegal logging. Theamount of water flowing has already beenreduced considerably. A spokesman for theElectricity Power Projects Office in NorthSumatra has warned that if logging continues,“the plant would not be able to supply powerto millions of home industries and thathundreds of hectares of paddy fieldsdownstream of the river would bethreatened.”21

Failure At HomeOne of the remarkable changes since 1998 hasbeen the flow of information available forofficials and enforcement officers to act upon.Comprehensive information on illegal logginghas been collected and disseminated bycommunities, NGOs, journalists and industry.This should have made it easier forprosecutions but endemic corruption hasundermined and quashed the voice ofstakeholders. Occasionally loggers or truckerswill be fined although rarely because of their

dengan hutan. Bahkan pejabat teras yang penuhtekad dihalang-halangi oleh politikus, polisi,militer dan peradilan, yang semuanya terperosokdalam politik uang dan korupsi.

Upaya-upaya Pemerintah Indonesia dilingkup internasional untuk mendapatkandukungan dari masyarakat internasional jauhlebih proaktif dan berhasil. Di dalam negerisendiri, kerja keras segelintir petugas danpolitikus yang bernurani dikalahkan olehrealitas politik uang.

Kegagalan harus diukur dengan apa yangsesungguhnya terjadi di hutan. Janji-janji telahdiberikan oleh Presiden Indonesia berturut-turut dan para Menteri terkait untukmenghentikan penebangan liar di TamanNasional, lalu Task force serta komite antardepartemen telah dibentuk dan tak terdengarlagi kiprahnya. Sementara itu, penghancuranhutan terus berlangsung.

Penebangan di Taman Nasional TanjungPuting telah diajukan dan diterima sebagai batuujian untuk melihat apakah Pemerintahmemiliki kemauan atau kemampuan untukbertindak. Lalu pada pertemuan ConsultativeGroup on Indonesia (CGI) yangdiselenggarakan di Jakarta pada 2 Februari2000 Pemerintah Indonesia menyetujui untukselekasnya menangani masalah penebangan liardi Taman-Taman Nasional. Pada Juli 2000,Presiden Abdurrahman Wahid setuju untukmenghapus hak kekebalan anggota MPR AbdulRasyid, yang dituduh mendalangi penebanganliar di Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting. PadaSeptember 2000, Sekretaris JenderalDepartemen Kehutanan, Soeripto, menyatakantelah mengajukan dokumen tentang kasus

Above: Australian TV crew on board the Mandarin Sea.

Endemiccorruptionhasunderminedandquashed the voice ofstakeholders

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crime. It is more often the case that thosearrested failed to pay the correct official, or fellfoul of a competitor.

The government response has been strongwords from Presidents and cabinet membersbut little action. Committed and determinedofficials in the Ministry of Forestry and otherrelevant ministries are vastly outnumbered bycorrupt officials who still depend on theirincome from illegal activities relating to forests.Even determined senior officials are blocked bypoliticians, police, military and the courts, allmired in money politics and corruption.

International efforts by the Government ofIndonesia in securing support from theinternational community have been far moreproactive and successful. Domestically, therealities of money-politics undermine the bestefforts of a small band of committed officialsand politicians.

The failure has to be measured by what isactually happening in the forest. Promiseshave been made by successive Presidents andrelevant Ministers to stop illegal logging inNational Parks, and Task Forces and inter-departmental committees have come and gone.Meanwhile the destruction continues.

The logging of Tanjung Puting NationalPark has been put forward and accepted as atest case to see whether the government has

tersebut ke Kejaksaan Agung.Pada bulan yang sama, Menteri

Lingkungan Hidup Sonny Keraf membahaspembentukan sebuah tim peradilan. Iamengatakan bahwa ia didorong oleh JaksaAgung Marzuki Darusman untuk“menuntaskan masalah Tanjung Puting”.Menteri Koordinator untuk Urusan PolitikSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono mengatakanbahwa tim tersebut akan berada di bawahkoordinasinya.22

Pada Desember 2000, Rizal Ramli, MenteriKoordinator bidang Perekonomian mendesakJaksa Agung dan Kepala POLRI untuk menahanAbdul Rasyid atas peranannya dalampenebangan liar di Taman Nasional TanjungPuting.23 Februari 2001, Jaksa Agung MarzukiDarusman mengaku tidak tahu menahumengenai adanya dokumen kasus tersebut.Konyolnya, Sekretaris Jenderal DepartemenKehutanan justru diperintahkan untukmelakukan penyidikan atas kasus yang lain.

Pada bulan Mei 2002, Presiden MegawatiSoekarnoputri menyerukan penghentiansementara kegiatan penebangan. Ia mengatakan“Kita harus memberi kesempatan kepada hutankita untuk bernapas”.24 Pada bulan Juli 2002,Menteri Lingkungan Hidup Nabiel Makarimmengumumkan sebuah tim penegak hukumbaru yang “tidak bisa dipengaruhi” untuk

Right: Truck haulinglogs out of TanjungPuting National Park.

The loggingof TanjungPuting has beenaccepted as a testcase

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the will or ability to act and at theConsultative Group on Indonesia (CGI)meeting held in Jakarta on 2nd February 2000the Government of Indonesia agreed to dealimmediately with the issue of illegal logging inNational Parks. In July 2000 the thenPresident Wahid agreed to remove theimmunity of Peoples’ Consultative Assembly(MPR) member Abdul Rasyid, accused ofbeing behind the illegal logging of TanjungPuting National Park. In September 2000 thethen Secretary General of the Ministry ofForestry, Soeripto, claimed to have forwardeda dossier on the case to the Attorney General.

Also in September Environment MinisterSonny Keraf discussed the establishment of ajudicial team. He stated that he had beenencouraged by the Attorney General MarzukiDarusman to “finish the problem of TanjungPuting”. The Coordinating Minister forPolitical Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonostated that this team would come under hiscoordination.22

In December 2000 Rizal Ramli, theCoordinating Minister for the Economy urgedthe Attorney General and Chief of Police toarrest Abdul Rasyid because of his role in theillegal logging of Tanjung Puting NationalPark.23 By February 2001 the AttorneyGeneral Marzuki Darusman denied anyknowledge of a dossier. Farcically, theSecretary General was ordered to carry outanother investigation.

In May 2002 President MegawatiSoekarnoputri called for a temporarymoratorium of logging activities, saying: “We must give our forest a chance to take abreath”.24 In July 2002 the currentEnvironment Minister Nabiel Makarimannounced a new “untouchable” team of lawenforcers to handle environmental crime,especially illegal logging.25 Already there aredoubts as to whether this team of judges,investigators and prosecutors will really be setup. In August 2002 the Ministry of Trade andIndustry and the Ministry of Forestryannounced a new agency to help face the“various problems facing the country’s ailingforest-based industry”.26

If strong words and setting up committeescould stop illegal logging, the loggers wouldhave left Tanjung Puting a long time ago. Yetgiven the lack of genuine political will andenforcement the pillage continues.

'As a test case, Tanjung Puting NationalPark still acts as an excellent indicator of thegovernment’s failure to tackle illegal logging in

menangani kejahatan lingkungan, khususnyaillegal logging.25 Belum apa-apa sudah munculkeraguan apakah tim yang terdiri dari hakim,penyidik dan jaksa ini akan sungguh-sungguhterbentuk. Pada Agustus 2002, DepartemenPerdagangan dan Industri dan DepartemenKehutanan mengumumkan pembentukansebuah badan baru untuk membantu mengatasi“berbagai masalah yang dihadapi industriberbasis hutan Indonesia yang sedang sakit.”26

Bila kata-kata keras dan pembentukankomite-komite dapat menghentikanpenebangan liar, para penebang tentu telahlama meninggalkan Tanjung Puting. Sebaliknyayang terjadi, karena lemahnya kemauan politikdan upaya penegakan hukum yang sungguh-sungguh, penjarahan hutan terus berlangsung.

Sebagai batu ujian, Taman NasionalTanjung Puting masih merupakan indikatorkegagalan Pemerintah dalam menghentikanillegal logging di Taman-Taman Nasional.Taman Nasional tersebut masih dijarah secaraterang-terangan. Abdul Rasyid masih duduksebagai anggota Majelis PermusyawaratanRakyat (MPR) walaupun bukti-bukti dandokumentasi mengenai keterlibatanperusahaannya dalam aktivitas ilegal terusbertambah. Ia dan koleganya sesama penjahatmembuktikan diri sebagai orang-orang yangberada di luar jangkauan hukum.

Wednesday, December 06 - 2000

Minister seeks swift arrest of MPR memberJAKARTA (IO) Coordinating Minister for theEconomy Rizal Ramli yesterday urged authoritiesto arrest a member of the nations top legislativebody for running an illegal logging operation in anational park. Rizal told Attorney General MarzukiDarusman and a representative of National PoliceChief General Suroyo Bimantoro that the legislatoris in charge of logging that takes place at TanjungPutting National Park in Central Kalimantan.

The rogue legislator was identified only as A.R., amember of the Peoples Consultative Assembly(MPR). Rizal met with Marzuki and Bimantorosoperational assistant Sutiyoso at the headquartersof theNational Development Planning Board(Bappenas) on Jalan Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

If strongwords andcommitteescould stopillegallogging,the loggerswould haveleft TanjungPuting along timeago

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Sukses InternasionalWalaupun kegagalan-kegagalan terjadi sepertidi atas, ada perubahan nyata didalamDepartemen Kehutanan. Menteri Prakosa telahmengambil langkah-langkah penting denganmengeluarkan kebijakan-kebijakan yangberani, walau masih harus dibuktikan apakahkebijakan-kebijakan tersebut dapat diterapkandalam iklim saat ini. Di dalam negeri, Prakosatelah membuat keputusan menteri (Kepmen)tentang pemberian konsesi dengan kriteriakeberlanjutan yang lebih ketat. Ia mendukungpencantuman spesies kayu ramin (Gonystylusspp.) dalam Appendix III Konvensi tentangPerdagangan Internasional Spesies-spesies yangTerancam Punah (CITES) yang dilakukanpendahulunya. Ia menerapkan pelaranganekspor kayu bulat dan para bawahannyabekerja sama dengan TNI AL dan sejumlahunsur kepolisian menahan kapal-kapal yangmengangkut kayu curian. Setelah mendapattekanan internasional, Malaysia melarangimpor kayu bulat dari Indonesia.

Sejak penandatanganan Deklarasi tingkatMenteri tentang Forest law Enforcement andGovernance (FLEG) pada September 2001,Indonesia telah mengambil langkah majudengan membentuk satuan tugas regional.Dengan dukungan Menteri Prakosa, SekretarisJenderal Departemen Kehutanan WahjudiWardojo membentuk sebuah tim kuat ditingkateselon atas Departemen Kehutanan.Perjanjian bilateral dengan Inggris telahditandatangani untuk menanggulangi illegallogging di Indonesia serta perdagangan kayudan produk kayu dari sumber ilegal ke Inggris.Inggris akan menyediakan paket dukungantermasuk bantuan teknis dan keuangan untukmembangun mekanisme pelacakan kayu bulatdan pemantauan independen terhadap sistem-sistem tersebut.

Kesepakatan antara Inggris-Indonesia iniberperan sebagai katalis untuk membawaIndonesia kedalam perundingan denganJepang, Cina, Uni Eropa (EU), Norwegia danFinlandia. Uni Eropa sedang merancang suatupengumuman resmi yang diharapkan akanmenelurkan peraturan tegas yang melarangimpor kayu dan produk kayu dari sumber-sumber ilegal. Jepang telah melangkah majubersama Indonesia pada sebuah KemitraanKehutanan Asia (AFP), meskipun wujudsesungguhnya dan keefektifan kemitraanregional semacam itu masih belum jelas betul.

Semua ini merupakan tanda-tandakomitmen menjanjikan dari beberapa bagian

National Parks. The Park is still being openlylogged. Abdul Rasyid, despite growingevidence and documentation of his company’sinvolvement in illegal activity, still sits in thePeoples’ Consultative Assembly (MPR). Heand his criminal colleagues have proven thatthey are above the law.

International Success Despite the failures described above there hasbeen a real change in the Ministry of Forestry.Minister Prakosa has taken a valuable lead onforging ahead with courageous policies, manyof which have yet to prove whether they can beimplemented in the current climate.Domestically he has written decrees to bringconcessions under stricter sustainability criteria.He has supported the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species(CITES) Appendix III listing of the timberspecies ramin (Gonystylus spp.) adopted by hispredecessor. He has imposed a log export banand his officers have cooperated with the Navyand some elements in the police inapprehending ships carrying illegal logs.Malaysia, after international pressure, hasadopted a ban on the importation ofIndonesian logs.

Since the Forest Law Enforcement andGovernance (FLEG) Ministerial Declaration inSeptember 2001, Indonesia has taken the lead

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Above: MinisterPrakosa signs MOU with the UKgovernment to workto stop illegal loggingand trade in illegaltimber.

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in developing a regional task force. WithMinister Prakosa’s support, Secretary GeneralWahjudi Wardojo has developed a strong teamin the upper echelons of the Ministry. Abilateral agreement has been signed with theUK to tackle illegal logging in Indonesia andthe trade in illegally sourced timber and timberproducts into the UK. The UK will provide apackage of support including technical andfinancial assistance to develop log trackingmechanisms and independent monitoring ofthese systems.

This UK-Indonesia agreement has acted as acatalyst to get Indonesia talking with Japan,China, the European Union (EU), Norway andFinland. The EU is already drafting acommunication which it is hoped will result ina strong regulation banning the import ofillegally sourced timber and timber products.Japan has taken a lead with Indonesia on anAsian Forest Partnership (AFP), although theexact nature and effectiveness of such aregional partnership is not yet clear.

These are all hopeful signs of thecommitment from parts of the Indonesiangovernment to seriously tackle illegal logging,signs that are being enthusiastically supportedby the international community. Yet the realtest of the government’s resolve lies in theforests, where no let-up in the onslaught is yetdiscernible.

Impact of DecentralisationIn some parts of Indonesia, much of the powerhas been transferred from central governmentto provincial governments and un-elected localregency governors (bupatis). In some of thesecases there is clear evidence of the new regionalpolitical elite making the most of their new-found power and exploiting the forest for theirown gain in ways similar to those of the formerNew Order Jakarta political elite.

Timber baron Abdul Rasyid has takenadvantage of this switch of power to buildhimself a strong corrupt power base built onmoney politics and resentment of Jakarta. In areport published in 2000 it was revealed that hewas one of the main sources of money used tobribe parliamentarians for their vote in thepolitical race for Governor of CentralKalimantan.27 By backing the winner, Rasyidhas increased his influence in CentralKalimantan and spread his corrupt influence farwider by being appointed as regionalrepresentative to the national MPR.

In other parts of Indonesia there are regular

Pemerintah Indonesia untuk sungguh-sungguhmenghentikan illegal logging. Gelagat inididukung dengan antusias oleh masyarakatinternasional. Meskipun demikian, ujiansesungguhnya terhadap sikap pemerintahterletak di hutan, di mana belum tampaktanda-tanda perusakan akan menyurut.

Dampak DesentralisasiDi sejumlah daerah di Indonesia, sebagianbesar kekuasaan telah dialihkan daripemerintah pusat ke pemerintah propinsi dankepada para bupati yang tidak dipilih secaralangsung. Di sejumlah kasus terdapat buktinyata bahwa elit politik baru di daerahmemanfaatkan dan menikmati kekuasaanbarunya serta mengekploitasi hutan untukmemperkaya diri sendiri dengan cara-cara yangserupa dengan para elit politik Jakarta di jamanOrde Baru.

Raja kayu Abdul Rasyid memanfaatkanperalihan kekuasaan ini untuk membangunkekuasan korup yang kuat berlandaskan padapolitik uang dan ketidaksukaan terhadappemerintah pusat [Jakarta]. Dalam sebuahlaporan yang terbit pada tahun 2000,terungkap bahwa ia adalah salah seorangpenyedia dana utama untuk menyuap dan

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Left: Raminmouldings for sale inItaly, August 2002

The real test of thegovernment’sresolve lies in theforests

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membeli suara anggota DPRD dalamperebutan kursi Gubernur KalimantanTengah.27 Dengan dukungannya kepada sangpemenang, Rasyid telah menaikkan pamornyadi Kalimantan Tengah dan menyebarkanpengaruh korupnya lebih luas lagi setelahditunjuk sebagai wakil utusan daerah di MPR.

Di daerah-daerah lain sering terjadikontradiksi antara keputusan pemerintahpropinsi dan pemerintah pusat. Contohnya,Gubernur Papua Barat JP Salosa baru-baru inimengeluarkan keputusan yang mengijinkanekspor kayu bulat dari Papua Barat kendatiada larangan ekspor secara nasional.29 Dibanyak daerah, telah menjadi rahasia umumbahwa kayu-kayu ilegal dari Taman Nasionaldikenai pajak oleh para bupati.

Meskipun ada kontradiksi semacam ini,dalam jangka panjang diharapkan otonomidaerah dapat membantu memberantas korupsidan mencegah ekploitasi sumber daya alamsecara serampangan, yaitu dengan lebihmendekatkan sistem politik kepada rakyat,ketimbang bergantung pada keputusan dariJakarta sebagaimana halnya di masa silam.Walau demikian, diperlukan prasyarat untukmencapai perkembangan positif tersebut, yaitu:pemilihan umum secara langsung, transparandan jujur bagi seluruh pejabat di tingkatkabupaten maupun propinsi.

contradictions between provincial and centralgovernment decrees. For instance, the WestPapuan Governor JP Salosa recently issued adecree allowing the export of logs from WestPapua despite the national export ban.29 Inmany parts of Indonesia it is well known thatillegal logs from National Parks have beentaxed by local bupatis.

Despite these contradictions, in the longer-term it is hoped that local autonomy will helpcurb corruption and rampant natural resourceexploitation by bringing the political systemcloser to the people, rather than all decisionsemanating from Jakarta as in the past. Yet apre-requisite for such a positive development isdirect, transparent and fair elections for alllocal and provincial officials.

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Above: Fire spreadsout of control in EastKalimantan.

Above right: TanjungLingga Group hascapitalised ondecentralisation.

The Untouchable Tanjung Lingga

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The Untouchable TanjungLinggaA stark illustration of the total failure ofIndonesia’s legal system to deal with forestcrimes is provided by the illegal activities ofAbdul Rasyid’s Tanjung Lingga Group ofcompanies, particularly its involvement in thecase of three ships carrying stolen logsintercepted by the Indonesian Navy inNovember 2001.

Tanjung Lingga’s involvement in the illegallogging of Tanjung Puting is well-documented.30

In 1999 Rasyid’s name was included on a list of18 timber barons accused of flagrant law-breaking by the Ministry of Forestry. In August2000 the Panama-registered vessel Progress A,owned by Tanjung Lingga subsidiary LinggaMarintama, was seized off the coast of RiauProvince, carrying meranti logs without thenecessary permission. Under the Indonesianforestry law of 1999 the illegal transport oftimber carries a sentence of up to ten years inprison. Yet the case was never prosecuted andthe ship was released after transport documentsmysteriously appeared after the seizure.

In October 2001 six vessels were seized inthe port of Kumai, near Tanjung Puting,carrying illegal timber. One of these vessels wasthe barge Lingga Marine 006, owned by LinggaMarintama. Again the vessel was released whena transport permit appeared.

In addition to illegally transporting timber,directors of Tanjung Lingga were involved inseriously assaulting and threatening twomembers of EIA/Telapak’s staff in January 2000.

Tanjung Lingga yang TakTerjamahSebuah ilustrasi gamblang tentang kegagalantotal sistem hukum Indonesia menanganikejahatan hutan dapat dilihat pada aktivitas-aktivitas ilegal Tanjung Lingga Group milikAbdul Rasyid, terutama keterlibatannya dalamkasus tiga kapal yang mengangkut kayu curianyang berhasil dicegat oleh TNI AL pada bulanNovember 2001.

Keterlibatan Tanjung Lingga dalam illegallogging di Tanjung Puting terdokumentasi denganbaik.30 Tahun 1999, nama Rasyid tercantumdalam daftar 18 cukong kayu yang dituduhmelanggar hukum oleh Departemen Kehutanan.Agustus 2000, sebuah kapal berbendera Panama,Progress A, milik Lingga Marintama anakperusahaan Tanjung Lingga, ditahan di lepaspantai Propinsi Riau, setelah kepergokmengangkut kayu meranti tanpa disertaidokumen yang diperlukan. Di bawah undang-undang kehutanan Indonesia tahun 1999,pengangkutan kayu secara ilegal dapat dikenaihukuman penjara hingga sepuluh tahun. Namun,kasus ini tidak pernah dibawa ke pengadilan dankapal tersebut dibebaskan karena setelahpenahanan tiba-tiba dokumen-dokumenpengangkutan muncul secara misterius.

Oktober 2001, enam kapal ditahan diPelabuhan Kumai, dekat Tanjung Puting,sedang mengangkut kayu ilegal. Salah satukapal tersebut adalah tongkang Lingga Marine006, milik Lingga Marintama. Lagi-lagi, kapaltersebut dibebaskan setelah terbit ijin angkut.

Selain mengangkut kayu secara ilegal, paradirektur Tanjung Lingga terlibat dalampenganiayaan dan mengeluarkan ancamanserius terhadap dua anggota staf LSM

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Above: LinggaMarintama’sProgress A, seized offRiau carrying logswithoutdocumentation inAugust 2000.

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The assault resulted in two directors receiving apaltry one-month probation sentence.

Yet the most vivid insight into the impunitywith which Tanjung Lingga break the law andpropagate violence, with the connivance of acorrupt legal system, is the company’s deepinvolvement in the case of the three ships,seized off Pangkalanbun in early November2001. This case pitted the progressive elementsin the Ministry of Forestry and the Navyagainst corrupt politicians and police officials,and almost cost a courageous man his life.

Seizure at SeaOn October 10th, as the Captain of theChinese-flagged MV Rong Cheng set course forMalaysia from Durban, South Africa, hereceived a communication from his shippingcompany Cosco Group Xiamen in China to setsail to Pangkalanbun, Central Kalimantan,Indonesia. His orders were to go and load theship with 11,500 m3 of logs and transport themto Ningbo-Zhangjiagang, China.31 Stopping firstin Kuching, Malaysia, the MV Rong Chengfinally arrived in Pangkalanbun early in themorning of November 5th.32

By early November three other

EIA/Telapak pada Januari 2000. Akibatpenganiayaan tersebut, dua direktur TanjungLingga dikenai hukuman sepele yaitu satubulan masa percobaan.

Namun, bukti paling jelas tentangkekebalan Tanjung Lingga dalam pelanggaranhukum dan penyebaran kekerasan, – berkatsistem hukum korup yang menutup matabelaka -, adalah keterlibatan kuat perusahaantersebut dalam kasus tiga kapal yang ditahan diPangkalanbun pada awal November 2001.Kasus ini menghadapkan langsung unsur-unsurprogresif di Departemen Kehutanan dan TNIAL dengan para politikus dan petugaskepolisian yang korup, dan bahkan nyarismerenggut nyawa seorang pemberani.

Penyergapan di Laut Pada 10 Oktober, ketika Kapten Kapalberbendera Cina MV Rong Cheng dalamperjalanan dari Durban, Afrika Selatan, menujuMalaysia, ia menerima pemberitahuan darikantornya, Cosco Group Xiamen, di Cinauntuk berangkat ke Pangkalanbun, KalimantanTengah, Indonesia. Ia diperintahkan untukberlayar dan mengangkut kayu sebanyak11.500 meter kubik ke Ningbo-Zhangjiagang,

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Above: Unmarked(illegal) ramin logsbeing processed in asawmill which is partof the Tanjung LinggaGroup.


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foreign–registered cargo vessels had arrived offPangkalanbun to load logs; the Singapore-registered MV Mandarin Sea, the Hong Kong-registered MV Fonwa Star (destined forMawan, China)33 and the MV Sea Utility,registered in Thailand. During the course ofthat week more than 25,000 m3 of illegallysourced timber was loaded onto the vesselsready for export.34

Such an operation was a brazencontravention of the law. In early October theIndonesian government had decreed an exportban on all logs. Yet on this occasion theenforcement authorities in Jakarta wereprepared. Acting on prior information frominformants, including journalist Abi KusnoNachran, who had been probing TanjungLingga’s business dealings, on the 9thNovember 2002, KRI Pandrong 801, anIndonesian Navy Patrol vessel, was used in ajoint operation between the Ministry of

Cina.31 Setelah singgah di Kuching, Malaysia,akhirnya MV Rong Cheng tiba diPangkalanbun pada 5 November subuh.32

Pada awal November tiga kapal barangasing lainnya tiba di lepas pantai Pangkalanbununtuk mengangkut kayu. Kapal berbenderaSingapura MV Mandarin Sea, kapal berbenderaHong Kong MV Fonwa Star (tujuan Mawan,Cina)33 dan kapal berbendera Thailand MV SeaUtility. Minggu itu lebih dari 25.000 meterkubik kayu dari sumber ilegal telah dimuatdalam ketiga kapal tersebut dan siap ekspor.34

Aktivitas semacam itu sungguh merupakanpelecehan hukum. Awal Oktober, pemerintahIndonesia telah mengeluarkan keputusanpelarangan ekspor kayu bulat. Namun padasaat itu, petugas penegak hukum di Jakartatelah siap bertindak. Berdasarkan informasidari para informan, antara lain wartawan AbiKusno Nachran, yang sedang menyelidikikasak-kusuk bisnis Tanjung Lingga, pada 9

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Left (three pics):Three cargo shipscarrying illegal logsseized by theIndonesian Navy incooperation with theMinistry of Forestry,November 2001.

More than25,000m 3

of illegallysourcedtimber was loadedonto thevesselsready forexport

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Forestry and the Navy to seize the ships.The unprecedented enforcement operation

captured three of the vessels, but the MV SeaUtility escaped the net. According to witnessesMV Sea Utility was equipped with machineguns and anchored further away from the otherthree vessels.35 Sea Utility appeared to disappearafter fleeing the scene, and is next recordeddocking in Bangkok in January 2002.

Navy Commander Major Yudo Margonowith three of his crew boarded the remainingvessels and asked to see documentation for thetimber and the ship. According to Indonesianlaw the transport of logs, or sawn timber musthave with it a document declaring its legality(SKSHH).36 None of the vessels checked had therequired documents and shipping papersrevealed that the vessels were planning to sailout of Indonesian waters, in clear contraventionof the log export ban.37

KRI Pandrong seized the vessels, crew andtimber and escorted the three ships to the Navydocks in Tanjung Priok port, Jakarta, where thevessels and cargo were impounded pending afull investigation.

The Investigation EIA/Telapak have scrutinised extensivedocumentation related to the case of the threeships that show the involvement of TanjungLingga and relatives of Rasyid in the failed

November 2001 kapal patroli TNI AL KRIPandrong 801 digunakan dalam operasigabungan Depatemen Kehutanan dan TNI ALuntuk menahan kapal-kapal tersebut.

Operasi penegakan hukum yang barupertama kali terjadi ini berhasil menangkaptiga kapal, tapi MV Sea Utility lolos darisergapan. Menurut para saksi, MV Sea Utilitydilengkapi dengan senapan mesin dan berlabuhagak jauh dari ketiga kapal lainnya.35

Tampaknya, Sea Utility menghilang setelahberhasil lolos dalam penyergapan tersebut, danbaru terlihat kembali pada waktu masuk dokdi Bangkok pada bulan Januari 2002.

Komandan AL, Mayor Yudo Margono,bersama tiga anak buahnya naik ke kapal-kapalyang terjaring dan menanyakan dokumenperijinan untuk kayu dan kapal tersebut.Menurut undang-undang Indonesia,pengangkutan kayu gelondongan atau kayugergajian harus disertai dokumen pengangkutan(Surat Keterangan Sahnya HasilHutan/SKSHH).36 Tak satu pun dari kapal-kapalitu memiliki dokumen yang diperlukan dandokumen pengapalan mengungkapkan bahwakapal-kapal itu memang berencana berlayarkeluar dari perairan Indonesia, yang jelas-jelasmelanggar larangan ekspor kayu bulat.37

KRI Pandrong menahan ketiga kapal ituberikut para awak dan kayu bawaannya lalumenggiring mereka ke dok Angkatan Laut diPelabuhan Tanjung Priok Jakarta. Di sana,

Right: Chinese crewheld on board theseized ships inTanjung Priok port,Jakarta.

According toIndonesianlaw thetransport of logs,or sawntimbermust havewith it adocumentdeclaringits legality

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attempt to smuggle timber worth at least US$4 million on board the three ships.

Since January 2000,when some members of his family and company henchmen violentlyassaulted and kidnapped two activists from EIA and Telapak, Abdul Rasyid has been verycareful to ensure his name is no longer oncompany registers or seen to be personallyinvolved in the illegal logging of TanjungPuting. Instead he now uses his politicalinfluence and did so in this case to derail theinvestigation and secure the eventual release of the three ships.

According to sources close to theinvestigation and documents seen byEIA/Telapak the illegal timber was owned bythe company Bintang Perkasa Utama (BPU). Atthe time of the loading operation the “primecommissioner” or director of BPU was a mancalled Agustiar, a nephew of Abdul Rasyid.38

Documents from Nanjing Ocean Shipping,owner of MV Fonwa Star, relating to the vessel’scontract to load and deliver the logs, list Agustiaras the General Director of Tanjung Lingga, andthe company as the shippers. However, on 30thNovember, three weeks after the ships and cargowere seized, Rahmat Nasution Hamka SH, ayoung company employee replaced Agustiar asthe Director of BPU.39

Rahmat bizarrely emerged as the maintarget for the police investigations even thoughhe was not a director of the company at thetime of the seizure. Agustiar, Rasyid’s nephewand director of BPU at the time, was left out ofthe investigation.40

Documents reveal that PT LinggaMarintama, part of the Tanjung Lingga Group,was deeply involved in facilitating the collectionof the illegal logs. These documents includeletters to various Indonesian authorities givingnotice that the three ships would be arriving intoPangkalanbun and requesting clearance.41

Confirmation of the role played by LinggaMarintama comes from statements given by thecaptains of the tugboats used to transport thelogs to the loading site. They stated that theyhad carried the timber from a log pondbelonging to BPU and had done so under ordersfrom Negum Eldin, a resident of Pangkalanbun.Eldin is the head of a sub division of LinggaMarintama and did not have the legally requireddocuments to transport the timber.42

In addition, the captain of the Rong Chengsaid that during the loading of timber his vesselwas boarded by a man claming to be thedirector of the company PT Tanjung Menthobiowned by Abdul Rasyid’s brother, Ruslan.43

ketiga kapal beserta barang muatannya ditahansambil menunggu penyidikan penuh.

PenyidikanEIA/Telapak telah mempelajari dengan telitiberbagai dokumentasi yang terkait dengankasus tiga kapal. Penyidikan itu menunjukkanketerlibatan Tanjung Lingga dan kerabatRasyid dalam upaya (walaupun gagal)menyelundupkan kayu bernilai sedikitnya 4juta dolar AS dengan menggunakan ketigakapal tersebut.

Sejak Januari 2000, ketika sejumlahanggota keluarga dan kaki tangannyamenganiaya dan menculik dua aktivis Telapakdan EIA, Abdul Rasyid sangat berhati-hatimenjaga agar namanya tidak lagi tercantumdalam daftar perusahaan atau tampak terlibatsecara pribadi dalam illegal logging di TanjungPuting. Kini ia menggunakan pengaruhpolitiknya, juga dalam kasus ini, untukmenggagalkan penyidikan dan memastikanpembebasan ketiga kapal itu.

Menurut sumber-sumber yang dekat dalampenyidikan dan dokumen-dokumen yang dilihatoleh EIA/Telapak, kayu-kayu ilegal tersebutdimiliki oleh perusahaan Bintang Perkasa Utama(BPU). Pada waktu proses pemuatan kayutersebut, yang menjabat sebagai “komisarisutama“ atau direktur BPU adalah Agustiar, salahseorang keponakan Abdul Rasyid.38 Dokumen-dokumen dari Nanjing Ocean Shipping, pemilik

Left: Documentshowing TanjungLingga Group’scomplicity in loadingillegal logs forexport.

Rahmatbizarrelyemerged asthe policetarget eventhough hewas not adirector atthe time ofthe seizure


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The initial police investigation concludedthat there was sufficient evidence to carry out a prosecution for the transportation of timberwithout an SKSHH against Eldin of LinggaMarintama.44 The police also concluded thatthere was enough evidence to prove RahmatNH did commit a criminal act by possessingtimber for transport without the requiredSKSHH.45 They recommended that the case be returned to Pangkalanbun. The police,represented by Brigadier General Suyitno,argued that the ships could not be classified as “transport means” because they were onlyloading. This is despite ample documentationstating their destination as China.46

Violence and IntimidationThe response from those involved in the failedsmuggling attempt was swift and violent. A fewweeks after the seizure, while police andforestry officials were continuing with theirinvestigations, Abi Kusno, the journalist whohad alerted the Ministry of Forestry to theships, was viciously attacked with his editor onthe streets of Pangkalanbun. He was taken tothe hospital and was later believed to be dead,but by moving his toes alerted a nurse that hewas clinging to life.47

Over the next ten days an orchestratedcampaign to bring the case of the three shipsback to courts in Pangkalanbun was in fullswing. From paid-for street demonstrations tosupport from the Regional House of

MV Fonwa Star, menyebutkan kontrak kapaluntuk memuat dan mengangkut kayu. Dalamkontrak itu dicantumkan nama Agustiar sebagaiGeneral Director Tanjung Lingga danperusahaan itu sebagai pihak pengirim barang.Namun, pada tanggal 30 November, tiga minggusetelah ketiga kapal dan muatannya ditahan,Rahmat Nasution Hamka SH, seorang pegawaimuda di perusahaan itu menggantikan posisiAgustiar sebagai Direktur BPU.39

Rahmat, anehnya menjadi sasaran utamapenyidikan polisi walaupun ia tidak menjabatsebagai direktur perusahaan pada saatpenangkapan terjadi. Agustiar, keponakanRasyid dan direktur BPU pada saat kejadian,justru lolos dari penyidikan.40

Berbagai dokumen mengungkapkan bahwaPT Lingga Marintama, bagian dari TanjungLingga Group, sangat jauh terlibat dalammemfasilitasi pengumpulan kayu ilegal.Dokumen-dokumen tersebut antara lain surat-surat ditujukan kepada pihak berwenangIndonesia yang isinya memberitahukan bahwaketiga kapal tersebut akan tiba diPangkalanbun dan memerlukan ijin keluar.41

Konfirmasi tentang peranan Lingga Marintamaberasal dari pernyataan-pernyataan yangdiberikan oleh kapten kapal tunda yangdigunakan untuk mengangkut kayu ke lokasipemuatan. Mereka menyatakan bahwa kayu-kayu tersebut dibawa dari log pond milik BPUdan pekerjaan tersebut dilakukan dibawahperintah Negum Eldin, penduduk Pangkalanbun.Eldin adalah kepala sub-divisi Lingga

Right: Logs unloadedfrom the Fonwa Star.

Brig. Gen.Suyitnoargued that theships couldnot beclassified as“transportmeans”becausethey wereonlyloading

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Representatives (DPRD) of West Kotawaringin,appeals were made to the Forestry Minister inJakarta and Committee III of the House ofRepresentatives (DPR) to bring the case back tothe local judiciary and into the clutches of thoseclose to Tanjung Lingga.48

The campaign concluded when ninemembers of the West Kotawaringin Housetogether with some members of the CentralKalimantan timber community met with thehead of Indonesia’s national police force inJakarta. It was reported that according to thoseat that meeting a verbal agreement was givenby the police chief to send the case back toPangkalanbun.49

On 13th May 2002, in an inter-agencymeeting that EIA/Telapak attended in Jakarta,the police put forward their case to offload andauction the timber, release the ships and sendthe case to Pangkalanbun. They stated thatthere was no case to answer as the vessels hadnot actually sailed, but acknowledged that acriminal case could be brought forward on theowner of the logs, Rahmat Nasution HamkaSH. There was concern that in his defence hewould use the fact that he was only madedirector of the company on November 30th2001, three weeks after the ships had beenseized. It was clear that the police were findinga way out of having to take the case to theJakarta court, allow for the off-loading of the

Marintama dan tidak memiliki surat resmi yangdipersyaratkan untuk mengangkut kayu.42

Selain itu, kapten Rong Cheng menyatakanbahwa pada waktu memuat kayu seseorangnaik ke atas kapalnya. Orang tersebut mengakusebagai direktur PT Tanjung Menthobi, milikRuslan, saudara laki-laki Abdul Rasyid.43

Investigasi polisi pada awalnyamenyimpulkan ada bukti yang cukup untukmenuntut Eldin dari Lingga Marintama atastuduhan pengangkutan kayu tanpa SKSHH.44

Polisi juga menyimpulkan bahwa fakta yangada cukup untuk membuktikan bahwa RahmatNH memang melakukan tindak kriminaldengan memiliki kayu untuk diangkut tanpaSKSHH yang dipersyaratkan.45 Polisimerekomendasikan kasus tersebut untukdikembalikan ke Pangkalanbun. BrigjenSuyitno atas nama polisi berkilah bahwakapal-kapal tersebut tidak dapat digolongkansebagai “alat angkut“ karena kapal-kapaltersebut hanya sedang memuat ketikatertangkap. Hal ini bertentangan denganbanyaknya dokumen yang menyatakan tujuankapal-kapal tersebut adalah Cina.46

Kekerasan dan IntimidasiTanggapan mereka yang terlibat dalam upayapenyelundupan yang gagal ini cukup cepat dankeras. Beberapa minggu setelah penangkapan,selagi polisi dan petugas kehutanan melanjutkan

Left: Fixture noteconfirms destinationof logs was China.

Parliament(DPR)Comm 3lobbied forthe case tobe sent toAbdulRasyid’sstronghold in CentralKalimantan


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logs and auction the timber as quickly aspossible.50 The police’s interpretation of the lawand its intended course of action were opposedby both the Ministry of Forestry and theAttorney General’s office.

Correspondence seen by EIA/Telapak showshow senior officials from the national policedeliberately set out to close the case against thethree captains and to auction the illegal logs atthe earliest possible opportunity.51

penyidikan mereka, Abi Kusno, wartawan yangmelaporkankeberadaan kapal-kapal tersebutkepada Departemen Kehutanan, bersama denganeditornya diserang secara keji di jalanan diPangkalanbun. Ia dibawa ke rumah sakit dandianggap tewas. Hanya dengan menggerak-gerakkan jari kakinya ia menyadarkan seorangperawat bahwa sebenarnya ia belum meninggal.47

Selama sepuluh hari berikutnya upaya untukmembawa kasus ketiga kapal tersebut kembalike Pangkalanbun berlangsung gencar. Parademonstran bayaran yang mendukung DPRDKotawaringin Barat menuntut DepartemenKehutanan di Jakarta dan Komisi III DPR agarmengembalikan kasus tersebut ke peradilanlokal dan kembali ke cengkeraman pihak yangdekat dengan Tanjung Lingga.48

Upaya tersebut berakhir dengan pertemuansembilan anggota DPRD Kotawaringin Baratbeserta sejumlah masyarakat perkayuanKalimantan Tengah dengan Kapolri di Jakarta.Dilaporkan oleh mereka yang hadir dalampertemuan tersebut bahwa Kapolri menjanjikansecara lisan untuk mengirimkan kembali kasustersebut ke Pangkalanbun.49

Pada 13 Mei 2002, dalam acara gelarperkara yang dihadiri oleh EIA/Telapak diJakarta, polisi mengajukan argumen merekauntuk membongkar muat dan melelang kayu,melepaskan kapal-kapal tersebut danmengirimkan kasus kembali ke Pangkalanbun.Mereka menyatakan bahwa kasus tidak berlakukarena kapal-kapal tersebut tidak sedangberlayar. Tetapi polisi mengakui bahwa kasustersebut dapat diajukan sebagai perkarakriminal terhadap pemilik kayu, RahmatNasution Hamka SH. Dikuatirkan bahwadalam pembelaannya ia akan menggunakanfakta bahwa ia baru diangkat menjadi direkturpada 30 November 2001, yaitu tiga minggusetelah ketiga kapal ditangkap. Jelaslah bahwapolisi berupaya untuk tidak membawa kasustersebut ke pengadilan di Jakarta, memberikesempatan untuk bongkar muat dan melelangkayu sesegera mungkin.50 Pemahaman polisi atashukum dan tindakan yang akan diambil iniditentang oleh pihak Departemen Kehutanandan kantor Kejaksaan Agung.

Surat menyurat yang diperiksa olehEIA/Telapak menunjukkan bahwa pejabat tinggidi Mabes Polri secara sengaja bermaksudmenutup kasus terhadap ketiga kapten kapaldan melelang kayu-kayu ilegal tersebut secepatmungkin.51

Pada 6 Juni 2002, polisi melelang kayu-kayusitaan dari ketiga kapal tersebut yang berakhirtanpa satupun penawaran. Setelah berhasil

The National Police(above) attempts torelease the ships andauction the cargowere opposed by theAttorney General’sOffice (right) and theMinistry of Forestry.

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On June 6th 2002, an auction conducted bythe police of the seized timber from the threeships took place in Jakarta without a single bidbeing made. After successfully getting the shipsreleased, and the case against those involved inthe illegal cargo sent back to Pangkalanbun, themain objective was to sell the timber, but theprice was too high.

On June 13th the police tried again and thistime managed to sell 25,314 m3 of meranti logsat a vastly reduced price. Despite an initialvaluation of US$4 million for the timber whenit was seized, the logs eventually sold for lessthan US$228,000 (US$9 per cubic meter,compared with the market value of merantilogs of US$160).52

To date there has been no prosecution ofthose responsible for attempting to smuggle thelogs out of Indonesia. Efforts by the Ministry ofForestry and the Navy to break a majorinternational timber smuggling syndicatecentred on Tanjung Lingga have beenundermined by the failure of the police toconduct a full investigation. Meanwhile no-onehas been charged or prosecuted for theattempted murder of Abi Kusno and his editor.

Although this case caused considerableproblems for the shipping companies, timberbarons, police and parliamentarians, it wasonly in the form of financial loss, loss of faceand inconvenience. The timber barons andcorrupt officials remain free to pursue theirillegal activities protected and cosseted by alegal system which is rotten to the core.

melepaskan ketiga kapal, lalu mengirimkankembali kasus terhadap mereka yang terlibatdalam pengapalan ilegal ke Pangkalanbun,tujuan utama polisi adalah menjual kayu, tapiharga penawarannya terlalu tinggi.

Pada 13 Juni 2002, polisi mencoba lagi dankali ini berhasil menjual 25.314 m3 kayumeranti dengan harga murah sekali.Dibandingkan dengan penilaian pertama dimanakayu sitaan ditaksir bernilai 4 juta dolar AS,kayu tersebut akhirnya terjual dengan hargakurang dari 228 ribu dolar AS (9 dolar AS perkubik meter, dibandingkan dengan hargapasaran meranti senilai 160 dolar AS).52

Hingga hari ini tidak ada tindakan yangdiambil terhadap mereka yang berusahamenyelundupkan kayu dari Indonesia. UpayaDepartemen Kehutanan dan Angkatan Lautuntuk membongkar sindikat besar penyelundupkayu internasional yang berpusat di TanjungLingga telah dirusak oleh kegagalan polisimengusut tuntas kasus tersebut. Sementara itutidak seorangpun yang dituntut atau ditindakatas percobaan pembunuhan Abi Kusno daneditornya.

Walaupun kasus ini cukup menimbulkanpersoalan berarti bagi perusahaan perkapalan,cukong kayu, polisi dan wakil rakyat, tapi inihanyalah masalah dalam bentuk kerugiankeuangan, kehilangan muka dan kerepotanbelaka. Raja kayu dan petugas yang korupmasih bebas menjalankan aktivitas ilegal merekayang dilindungi dan dimanjakan oleh sistemperadilan yang busuk sampai ke akar-akarnya.

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Left: The case was finally sent to Pangkalanbun,Abdul Rasyid’spowerbase.

The timberbarons andcorruptofficialsremain freeto pursuetheir illegalactivities.


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Trying to Kill the Messenger

Pangkalanbun is a small port and most of the large vessels that anchor off its coastare there to load and export timber, most of which is illegally sourced. Certainly,with Tanjung Puting National Park situated beside the rivers that lead to whereships anchor, vast amounts of ramin, meranti and other timber plundered from thepark, have been exported to international markets. With four cargo vesselsanchored off Pangkalanbun, local residents could not miss the activity taking placein early November 2001.

H. Abi Kusno Nachran, a journalist with the central Java tabloid newspaper LintasKhatulistiwa, took a special interest in the activities surrounding the ships. Hisknowledge of illegal logging and transport from the region plus its local politics gavehim a context in which to conduct an investigation into those behind the smugglingof timber into overseas markets. Information from his investigation was provided toforestry officials in Jakarta, including the loading of the four ships.53

Previous investigations by Abi Kusno had turned up strong links between illicittimber trafficking in the area and the Tanjung Lingga Group set up by Abdul Rasyid.He had already become a thorn in the side of this group and in September, twomonths before the arrival of the four ships, says he had received death threats.54

Abi Kusno paid a very high price for his work, almost paying with his life.Returning to Pangkalanbun from a trip to Jakarta on 28th November, he wasattacked with spears, machetes and hydrochloric acid. His editor who had pickedhim up from the airport had his stomach ripped open with a long knife.55

Both victims survived the attack but Abi Kusno paid a high price – he lost fourfingers from his left hand and a bone in his right hand was broken off. His backwas slashed 17 times and needed 209 stitches and he had one ear sliced off.During emergency surgery he needed 27 bags of blood in the course of a seven-hour operation that saved his life.56 He is convinced that this attack was as a directresult of his role in exposing the planned timber smuggling operation.57

To date one person has been arrested but no one has been charged for theattempted murder of Abi Kusno and his editor. Abdul Rasyid and his family have notbeen investigated.

Mencoba Membunuh Pembawa Pesan

Pangkalanbun adalah pelabuhan kecil dan sebagianbesar kapal besar berlabuh di sana untukmengangkut dan mengekspor kayu, kebanyakandiantaranya berasal dari sumber ilegal. Jelaslah,keberadaan Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting yangtepat di pinggir sungai yang bermuara ke tempatkapal-kapal berlabuh, membuat banyak ramin,meranti dan kayu-kayu jarahan dari TamanNasional, telah diekspor ke pasar internasional.Sudah tentu aktivitas empat kapal barang yangberlabuh di Pangkalanbun di awal November tidakakan luput dari pengamatan penduduk lokal.

Abi Kusno Nachran, wartawan koran Jawa TengahLintas Khatulistiwa menaruh perhatian khusus padaaktivitas di sekitar kapal-kapal itu. Pengetahuannyatentang illegal logging dan pengangkutan kayuilegal dari daerah itu ditambah pengetahuanmengenai politik lokalnya memberi konteks untukmelakukan investigasi terhadap mereka yangberada dibalik penyelundupan kayu ke pasar luarnegeri. Informasi yang didapat dari penyidikan itulalu disampaikan kepada petugas kehutanan diJakarta, termasuk tentang aktivitas pemuatankeempat kapal.53

Investigasi yang dilakukan Abi Kusno sebelumnyatelah mengungkapkan adanya hubungan yang eratantara perdagangan kayu ilegal dan Tanjung LinggaGroup yang didirikan oleh Abdul Rasyid. Ataspenyidikannya tersebut sang wartawan sudahmenjadi duri bagi kelompok bisnis ini dan padabulan September, yaitu dua bulan sebelumkedatangan keempat kapal itu, ia telah menerimaancaman pembunuhan.54

Abi Kusno membayar mahal untuk hasil kerjanya,bahkan nyaris kehilangan nyawa. Sepulangnya kePangkalanbun dari Jakarta pada 28 November2001, ia diserang dengan tombak, mandau danlarutan asam. Editornya yang datang menjemputdari bandara juga diserang dengan pisau hinggaperutnya sobek.55

Kedua korban selamat, tetapi Abi Kusno harusmembayar mahal - empat jari tangan kirinya putusdan tulang di tangan kanannya patah. Punggungnyadibacok 17 kali dan perlu 209 jahitan serta salahsatu telinganya ditebas. Selama operasi darurat iamemerlukan 27 kantung darah dalam operasi yangberlangsung selama 7 jam yang akhirnya mampumenyelamatkan nyawanya.56 Ia yakin serangan ituada hubungan dengan peranannya mengungkapkanoperasi penyelundupan kayu yang direncanakan.57

Hingga hari ini hanya satu orang yang ditahan,tetapi tidak seorangpun dikenai hukuman ataspercobaan pembunuhan terhadap Abi Kusno daneditornya. Abdul Rasyid dan keluarganya tidakpernah disidik sama sekali.

Right: Abi Kusnosuffered horrendouspermanent injuries.

Opposite page:The Rong Chengmoored in Surabayaafter its release.

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Murky Waters

On the 5th October 2001 a contract was signed between Cosco Xiamenand BAL shipping (HK) Co Ltd for the loading and delivery of 11,500 m3

of timber onto the MV Rong Cheng from Pangkalanbun.58 Following thisnotification Lingga Marintama, which is part of the Tanjung Lingga groupowned by Abdul Rasyid and his family, sent a letter of notification to thePort authority in Pangkalanbun of the arrival of the MV Rong Cheng onNovember 5th 2001.

One hour after the ship reached the loading site, the captain of the MVRong Cheng was visited on board by two Indonesians, Mr. Aming andMr.Abun, who claimed to be working for the charterers.59 A thirdIndonesian Mr.Ujang demanded various ship certification documents.The captain asked for identification but was only given Mr.Ujang’s mobilephone number.60 In order for the vessel to prepare for loading the captainrequested that the agents present a loading list of the cargo. He was toldthat all relevant documents for the cargo would be sent the followingday. Those documents never arrived despite the captain’s attempt to getthem. The next day he went to the agent’s office and was told byMr.Ujang he did not have them but would bring them to the ship as soonas he received them.61

On the 9th November someone identifying himself as the owner of PTTanjung Menthobi boarded the MV Rong Cheng and asked to inspect theloading procedures of the vessel. PT Tanjung Menthobi is owned byAbdul Rasyid’s brother, Ruslan.62

Again, the captain asked for the cargo documents but the visitorexplained that he did not have them.

During the period 7-9 November 2001, the Captain of the Rong Chengstopped loading the timber and again requested cargo documents. He neverreceived them. As a result of the slowing down of loading there was only4,000 m3 of timber on board the MV Rong Cheng instead of the contracted11,500 m3 when the Indonesian Navy boarded and seized the vessel.

Air Keruh

Pada 5 Oktober 2001 sebuah kontrakditandatangani antara Cosco Xiamen dan BALshipping (HK) Co Ltd untuk memuat danmengangkut 11.500 m3 kayu ke kapal MVRong Cheng dari Pangkalanbun.58 Setelahpemberitahuan ini Lingga Marintama, yangmerupakan bagian dari Tanjung Lingga Groupmilik Abdul Rasyid dan keluarganya, mengirimsurat pemberitahuan kepada pihak yangberwenang di Pelabuhan di Pangkalanbunmengenai kedatangan kapal MV Rong Chengpada 5 November 2001.

Satu jam setelah kapal tiba di lokasi muat,kapten kapal MV Rong Cheng didatangi di ataskapal oleh dua pria Indonesia, Bapak Amingdan Bapak Abun, keduanya mengaku bekerjauntuk pihak penyewa.59 Pria Indonesia ketiga,Bapak Ujang, minta diperlihatkan berbagaidokumen sertifikasi kapal. Ketika kaptenmenanyakan tanda pengenal diri, yangdiberikan hanyalah nomor telpon genggamBapak Ujang.60 Untuk mempersiapkan kapalbagi pemuatan barang kapten meminta agenuntuk menyerahkan daftar muatan kapal.Dikatakan bahwa semua dokumen yang terkaituntuk pengangkutan akan dikirimkan keesokanharinya. Semua dokumen tersebut tidak pernahditerima walaupun sudah diminta oleh kaptenkapal. Keesokan harinya ia pergi ke kantoragen dan dikatakan oleh Bapak Ujang bahwa iatidak memiliki dokumen-dokumen kargotersebut. Tapi dijanjikan begitu dokumen tibaakan segera diserahkan kepada kapten kapal.61

Pada 9 November seseorang yang mengakusebagai pemilik PT Tanjung Menthobi naik keatas kapal MV Rong Cheng dan bermaksuduntuk memeriksa prosedur pemuatan di kapal.PT Tanjung Menthobi dimiliki oleh Ruslan,saudara lelaki Abdul Rasyid.62

Sekali lagi, kapten kapal menanyakan dokumenpengapalan tetapi orang persebut mengakutidak memiliki.

Diantara tanggal 7-9 November 2001, KaptenRong Cheng menghentikan pemuatan kayu dansekali lagi meminta dokumen kargo. Ia tidakpernah menerima dokumen tersebut. Karenapemuatan sempat terhenti, hanya 4.000 m3kayu yang terdapat di kapal MV Rong Chengbukannya 11.500 m3 seperti dinyatakandikontrak, ketika kapal tertangkap basah olehTNI AL.

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The Plight of Tanjung Puting

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The Plight of TanjungPutingThe continuing wilful destruction of TanjungPuting National Park is a direct consequence ofthe corrupt politics of Central Kalimantan andthe pernicious influence of Abdul Rasyid’sTanjung Lingga. In such a climate ofdysfunctional lawlessness the environment andaspirations of justice are being irrevocablydamaged.

Information regarding the illegal logging ofTanjung Puting has been made available to theGovernment of Indonesia and the internationaldonors to Indonesia since August 1999 whenEIA and Telapak first published their report“The Final Cut”. This was updated in 2000 andnew information was provided to theConsultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) in 2001.

Regular personal briefings and co-operationbetween parts of the government and NGOs haveresulted in the occasional flurry of activity toremove illegal loggers from the Park, most notablyprior to CGI meetings. However, these brief burstsof enforcement have all been short-lived. The

Penderitaan TanjungPutingPerusakan TNTP dengan sengaja yang terusberlangsung merupakan akibat langsung daripolitik Kalimantan Tengah yang korup danpengaruh buruk Tanjung Lingga milik AbdulRasyid. Dalam iklim yang cacat tanpa hukum,lingkungan hidup dan aspirasi keadilan beradadalam proses kehancuran.

Informasi mengenai illegal logging diTanjung Puting telah disodorkan kepadaPemerintah Indonesia dan donor internasionaluntuk Indonesia sejak bulan Agustus 1999ketika EIA dan Telapak menerbitkan laporanpertama “The Final Cut”. Laporan itudiperbarui pada tahun 2000 dan informasibaru diberikan kepada CGI pada tahun 2001.

Briefing pribadi secara teratur dankerjasama antara departemen pemerintah danOrnop mendorong kegiatan musiman untukmenyingkirkan penebang ilegal dari TamanNasional. Operasi ini biasanya terjadi sebelumpertemuan-pertemuan CGI. Akan tetapi operasipenegakan hukum yang mendadak ini

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Above: Tanjung PutingNational Park is ajewel in Indonesia’sbiodiversity crown.

Right:(opposite page)Map and photographssupplied to thegovernment by EIAand Telapak in 2001.The infrastructure and timber bosses remain today.


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umumnya hanya berlangsung singkat. Parapenebang selalu kembali ke Taman Nasionaldan perusakan hutan terus berlangsung sampaihari ini. Bagian Taman Nasional yang dirusaksudah sangat luas dan prasarana komersialseperti rel-rel kayu, kamp logging, jalan, kanaldan kolam untuk menampung kayu bulat telahdibangun di seluruh penjuru Taman Nasional.Dibandingkan tahun 1999 situasi hari ini diTanjung Puting jauh lebih buruk.

Tanjung Puting telah diangkat sebagai batuujian bagi pemerintah dalam memerangi ilegallogging, terutama di Taman-taman Nasional.Hingga hari ini pemerintah telah gagal totaldalam ujian untuk mengurangi penebanganatau menghukum para mafia kayu, termasukAbdul Rasyid, yang berada dibalik kerusakanmahligai keanekaragaman hayati Indonesia.

Semakin banyak bukti adanya keresahandiantara masyarakat setempat yang merasaketika operasi penegakan hukum dilakukanhanya penebang yang menjadi sasaran,sementara para cukong kayu lolos darioperasi.63 Hal ini sudah menjadi pesan utamadari rekomendasi EIA dan Telapak selama tigatahun belakangan ini, yaitu penebangan hanyaakan berhenti jika elit politik dan pelaku bisnisyang korup dan memetik keuntungan darinyaditangani secara serius dan mereka yang

loggers have always returned to the Park andthe destruction continues today. Vast tracts ofthe Park have been affected and a commercialinfrastructure of log rails, logging camps, roads,canals, and log ponds has developed acrossmost of the Park. The situation is worse todaythan it was in 1999.

Tanjung Puting has been accepted as a testcase for the government in its fight againstillegal logging, especially in National Parks. To date the government has utterly failed thetest to reduce the logging or prosecute thetimber mafia, including Abdul Rasyid, behindthe destruction of this jewel in Indonesia’sbiodiversity crown.

There is increasing evidence of local unrestas local residents feel that when anyenforcement action takes place, it concentrateson the loggers and not the timber bosses.63

This has been a central message of EIA andTelapak’s recommendations for the last threeyears – logging will only stop when the corruptpolitical and business elite profiting from thelogging is seriously tackled and thoseresponsible are prosecuted.

Recent reports from the Park show thatthere has been little attempt to destroy thelogging infrastructure or tackle the loggersdespite an enforcement operation involving 70

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Right: Log rail runningthrough TanjungPuting National Park,August 2002.

Thegovernmenthas utterlyfailed the test to reduce thelogging andprosecute the timbermafia.


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policemen in September 2002.64 EIA andTelapak provided the government with adetailed map outlining locations of the logginginfrastructure and the names of the timberbosses working in the east of the Park at theend of 2001.65 This infrastructure is still inplace and the loggers have expanded the area inwhich they are working.66

For a while it appeared as if logging hadbeen reduced in the north of the Park wherelog rafts had previously been seen day andnight on the Sekonyer River. This area is easilyaccessible and frequented by tourists visitingthe Park to see the wildlife, especially theorangutans. Yet recent reports, including onefrom local parliamentarians who saw a 200metre log raft on the Sekonyer River witharound 100 cubic metres of ramin and nyatohlogs67 suggests even this area continues to bedestroyed. The fruit of the nyatoh tree is animportant food resource for orangutans.68

The Buluh Kecil River is reported to havemany logging camps along its banks and aninfrastructure of log rails penetrating the forestinterior. These rails and logging camps stretchmany kilometres into the forest and canals havebeen dug to float the logs to the river. Recentreports confirm that these rails have nowentered the world-renowned orangutan researcharea established by Professor Birute Galdikasthirty one years ago. The loggers, who comefrom all over Indonesia as well as from the

bertanggung jawab dihukum.Laporan terbaru dari Tanjung Puting

menunjukkan sedikit sekali upaya untukmenghancurkan prasarana logging atau upayamengatasi penebang walaupun sudahdiadakan operasi penegakan hukum yangmelibatkan 70 polisi pada bulan September2002.64 EIA dan Telapak menyodorkan sebuahpeta rinci kepada pemerintah menggambarkangaris besar lokasi prasarana logging sertadaftar nama cukong kayu yang terlibat dalampenebangan di bagian timur Taman Nasionalpada akhir 2001.65 Prasarana tersebut masihtetap ada di sana dan para penebang semakinmemperluas wilayah jarahan mereka.66

Untuk sementara waktu tampaknyapenebangan telah berkurang di bagian utaraTaman Nasional. Dahulu, siang-malam rakitkayu bulat sibuk menghilir di SungaiSekonyer. Daerah ini mudah dicapai dansering dikunjungi wisatawan yang berkunjungke Taman Nasional untuk melihat satwa liar,terutama orangutan. Namun laporan terakhir,termasuk diantaranya dari salah seoranganggota DPRD setempat, melaporkan adanyarakit kayu gelondongan sepanjang 200 metermenghilir di Sungai Sekonyer yang memuatsekitar 100 meter kubik ramin dan kayunyatoh.67 Pengamatan tersebut menandakanbahwa daerah itu masih terus dirusak. Buahpohon nyatoh merupakan sumber makananyang penting bagi orangutan.68

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Left: Orangutans faceextinction.

Log railshave nowentered the world-renownedorangutanresearcharea.


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Di sepanjang tepi sungai Buluh Kecildilaporkan banyak terdapat kamp logging danprasarana rel-rel kayu yang merambah sampaike tengah hutan. Rel-rel dan kamp tersebutmembentang hingga berkilo-kilo meter masukke dalam hutan. Kanal digali untukmengalirkan kayu-kayu bulat ke sungai.Laporan terakhir menyebutkan rel-rel tersebutkini telah memasuki wilayah penelitianorangutan yang terkenal di dunia, yangdibangun oleh Profesor Birute Galdikastigapuluh satu tahun yang lalu. Selain dariKumai, kota setempat, para penebang berasaldari berbagai daerah di Indonesia. Merekajuga berburu dan mengambil kulit kayu,tindakan yang semakin memperparahkerusakan ekosistem yang rentan tersebut.69

Laporan terakhir juga menyatakan saat initerjadi kebakaran hutan di sepanjang sungaiBuluh Kecil.70

Dalam suatu wawancara baru-baru ini,kepala Taman Nasional Tanjung PutingLusman Pasaribu berkomentar tentang situasiberbahaya yang dihadapi petugas TNTPdalam melindungi kawasan yang berharga ini:“Staf kami sering diancam dan dipukuli olehanggota masyarakat. Kami juga mengalamiintimidasi dan bahkan kantor kami dirusak,hal itu masih berlangsung hingga sekarang.“

“Bulan Mei yang lalu saya mengalami aksimasyarakat yang menurut pandangan sayasangat anarkis. Masyarakat menghancurkansebuah palang jalan yang dibangunpemerintah untuk menghalangi jalur kayukeluar dari hutan dan mereka membakarsebuah pos penjagaan yang dibangunpemerintah.”71

Pada musim kemarau terkadang sulit untukmengangkut kayu keluar dari Taman Nasional.Pada awal September dilaporkan sebuah rakitkayu yang memuat 2000 potong meranticampuran, diduga milik PT Sungai BulanKencana, tersangkut di desa Benua Usang.72

Beberapa penebang dilaporkan telahditahan di Pembuang Hulu, di sungaiSeruyan di sebelah timur Taman Nasional.Tetapi, mereka marah dan jengkel karenamelihat para cukong kayu tetap dapat bebasmenjalankan aksi sementara merekalah yangmenanggung akibat aksi penegakan hukumyang sporadik itu. Atas nama para penebangyang ditangkap, seorang penduduk setempatmenulis surat protes atas penahanan tersebutkepada Bupati Abdul Razak, bunyinya:“Cukong dengan banyak uang dan peralatanberat melakukan hal yang sama di TamanNasional Tanjung Puting, tapi sejauh ini

local town of Kumai, are also hunting andstripping trees of bark causing further untolddamage to this fragile ecosystem.69 Recentreports state that there are now fires burningalong the Buluh Kecil River.70

In a recent interview, the head of TanjungPuting National Park Lusman Pasaribu talkedabout how dangerous the situation is for parkofficials in protecting this valuable area: “Ourstaff are often threatened and are often beatenby community members. We have experiencedintimidation and even damage of our office andhas still been happening until now.

“Last May, I experienced actions of thecommunity which, in my view, were extremelyanarchic. The community destroyed aroadblock built by the government to obstructa timber route out of the forest and burnt downa post also built by the government.”71

In the dry season it is sometimes difficult totransport the logs out of the Park. In early

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Above: Log raft inTanjung Puting,August 2002.


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polisi tidak mengambil tindakan apa-apaterhadap mereka”.73 Penduduk setempatmenyebut PT Wanasawit Subur Lestarisebagai perusahaan yang berkiprah dikawasan tersebut.

Wakil ketua DPRD Kalimantan Tengahpernah mengatakan bahwa kegiatan illegallogging dilindungi oleh tokoh politik yangkorup di kantor pemerintahan setempat.74 Iatidak mau menyebutkan nama para tokohpolitik tersebut. Sementara itu faksi PartaiBulan Bintang (PBB) di DPRD KabupatenKotawaringin Barat telah menjanjikanpenegakan hukum di TNTP. Komisi-komisi diDPRD mengunjungi dan melihat kawasanyang rusak di dalam TNTP antara SungaiSekonyer dan Sungai Buluh serta menghitungadanya lebih dari 40 pondok dengan 400pekerja tinggal di sana.75

Laporan selanjutnya menyebutkan rakit-rakit kayu bulat berisi 300 potong kayuditarik oleh dua kapal kecil menghilir SungaiBuluh Besar pada tanggal 6 September.Sebuah gerbang dan gardu penjaga yangdibangun di mulut sungai tahun lalu untukmenunjukkan adanya aktivitas penegakanhukum tidak pernah tampak dijaga setidaknyadalam 3 bulan terakhir dan sudah rusak.76

Menanggapi laporan tersebut BupatiAbdul Razak menyatakan: “Kita akan tindak

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Left: Illegal logs inTanjung Puting,August 2002.

Below: Loggersworking in TanjungPuting National Park.


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tegas, siapapun orangnya. Penegakansupremasi hukum perlu dilakukan demimenyelamatkan TNTP sebagai aset daerah,nasional bahkan internasional.” Iamenyatakan bahwa ia akan meminta bantuanpemerintah pusat jika stafnya tidak mampumengatasi masalah. Dalam laporan yang samaseorang penduduk setempat protes bahwamasyarakat setempat hanya dijadikankambing hitam belaka “sementara, adaoknum yang mengambil keuntungan dariTNTP tak pernah ditindak”.77 Terlepas darisemua kata-kata dan janji untuk bertindakini, semuanya berjalan seperti biasa diTanjung Puting.

September this year it was reported that a2000 piece mixed meranti log raft, alleged tobe owned by PT Sungai Bulan Kencana, wasstuck in the village of Benua Usang.72

Some loggers have reportedly been arrestedin Pembuang Hulu, on the Seruyan river to theeast of the Park, but these people are angryand frustrated because they see the timberbosses continuing their activities unimpededwhile they bear the brunt of sporadicenforcement actions. A local resident haswritten on their behalf to the local governor(bupati) Abdul Razak complaining about theirarrest stating: “There are big businessmenwith a lot of money and heavy equipmentdoing the same thing in Tanjung PutingNational Park, but so far the police haven’ttaken any action against them”.73 These localresidents named PT Wanasawit Subur Lestarias a company working in the area.

The shadow leader of the CentralKalimantan Provincial parliament (DPRD) hassaid that the illegal logging activities arebacked by corrupt politicians in the localgovernment office.74 He declined to name thepoliticians. Meanwhile the Partai BulanBintang (PBB) political party faction from theDPRD in West Kotawaringin has made a pleafor enforcement in the Park. Commissionsfrom the local parliament observed damagedareas of the Park between the Sekonyer Riverand the Buluh River and counted more than40 huts with 400 workers living there.75

There are further reports of log rafts beingtowed down the Buluh Besar River with 300pieces recorded being pulled by two smallboats on 6th September. A gate and guardpost built at the mouth of the river last yearas a show of enforcement activity has notbeen manned for at least three months andappears broken.76

The bupati Abdul Razak has responded tothese reports by saying: “We’ll take strongaction on whoever destroys Tanjung PutingNational Park. Law enforcement needs to becarried out to save Tanjung Puting as a local,national and international asset.” He concedesthat he will ask central government for help ifhis staff cannot handle the problem. In thesame report a local resident complained thatlocal people are used as scapegoats and that“there is a person who profits and theauthorities take no action against him.”77

Despite all the words and promises of action itis business as usual in Tanjung Puting.

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Right: Proboscismonkey, one of nineprimates found inTanjung Puting.

“Lawenforcementneeds to becarried out to saveTanjungPuting as a local,nationalandinternationalasset.”Abdul Razak, Bupati,September 2002

Conclusions and Recommendations

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Conclusions:

• The serious problem of illegal logging hasspiralled further out of control over the lastyear with National Parks and protectedareas being logged faster than ever before.

• Tanjung Puting National Park, as a test casefor the Government of Indonesia (GOI) totackle illegal logging, remains extremelyvalid. The GOI continues to fail this test.

• The GOI has failed to crack down on illegallogging largely due to endemic corruption inthe enforcement and judicial authorities.

• Efforts by the Ministry of Forestry to seizeillegal shipments of logs have beensupported by the Indonesian Navy butthwarted by senior police officials.

• Since EIA and Telapak’s first report (TheFinal Cut, 1999) on logging of TanjungPuting National Park and the timber baronAbdul Rasyid, Rasyid has greatly increasedhis power in Central Kalimantan andextended his corrupt influence to other parts of Indonesia including Jakarta.

• The Minister of Forestry, Dr MuhammadPrakosa has supported senior reformistofficials and taken some courageousdecisions despite enormous pressure usedagainst him.

• Reformist Ministry of Forestry officials, inthe absence of a just judicial process, havesucceeded in causing serious financial harmto shipping companies caught up in thetransportation of illegal logs.

• International moves by the GOI have starteda process of agreement between consumingcountries and Indonesia to tackle illegallogging and the markets for illegal timberand timber products.

Recommendations:

To the Government of Indonesia:

• President Megawati Soekarnoputri mustinstruct her office to give full support to theMinister of Forestry to tackle illegal logging.This must include immediate suspension andindependent investigation of anyenforcement officers suspected of aiding andabetting illegal activities.

• The President must remove Abdul Rasyid’sparliamentary immunity from prosecutionand appoint an independent team ofinvestigators, prosecutors and judges toinvestigate and audit Rasyid and his family’sbusiness activities, tax declarations, andsuspected involvement in processing andshipping illegal timber, kidnap andattempted murder.

• There must be a full investigation into therole of the national Police in the case of thethree cargo ships arrested by the Navy inNovember 2001.

• A national independent forest crimes unitmust be formed from selected honestinvestigators, prosecutors and judges andempowered to process the most serious casesof forest crime.

• Until a transparent and trustworthy systemis developed, seized timber should beroutinely destroyed to prevent anyopportunity for profit from an illegalactivity.

• The business activities of the military mustbe made transparent and accountable.

To the international community:

• When considering loans and support to theGOI, decisions should be partly based onwhether the GOI is seriously tackling reformof the enforcement and judicial systemrelating to forestry.

• Financial and technical support must beprovided to the GOI to tackle judicialreform as well as to develop mechanisms todetermine and track legal timber from theforest to the consumer.

• Timber consuming countries must enact newlegislation to prevent the import of illegallysourced timber and timber products.

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Kesimpulan/ Rekomendasi

Kesimpulan:• Masalah illegal logging yang serius telah

berkembang tanpa kendali selama setahunbelakangan.Taman-taman Nasional dankawasan lindung telah dijarah dengankecepatan lebih daripada sebelumnya.

• Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting, masihtetap merupakan batu ujian bagi pemerintahIndonesia dalam mengatasi illegal logging.Pemerintah Indonesia terus menunjukkankegagalannya dalam ujian ini.

• Pemerintah Indonesia telah gagalmenghentikan illegal logging terutamaakibat korupsi yang telah mengakardiantara petugas penegak hukum danperadilan.

• Berbagai upaya Departemen Kehutanandidukung oleh TNI AL untuk menangkappengapalan kayu bulat ilegal telah dirintangioleh pejabat teras kepolisian RI.

• Sejak laporan pertama EIA dan Telapak(The Final Cut, 1999) mengenai illegallogging di Taman Nasional Tanjung Putingdan raja kayu Abdul Rasyid, Rasyid telahsemakin memperbesar kekuasaannya diKalimantan Tengah dan memperluaspengaruh korupnya di daerah lain diIndonesia termasuk Jakarta.

• Menteri Kehutanan, Dr MuhammadPrakosa, telah mendukung pejabat tinggiyang pro-reformasi dan mengambil sejumlahlangkah berani ditengah-tengah tekananmelawan dirinya.

• Pejabat-pejabat Departemen Kehutananyang pro-reformasi, ditengah ketiadaanproses peradilan yang adil, berhasilmenimbulkan masalah keuangan yang seriusbagi perusahaan pengapalan yangtertangkap selagi mengangkut kayu bulatilegal.

• Langkah internasional yang diambilpemerintah Indonesia telah mengawali suatuproses kesepakatan antara negara-negarakonsumen dan Indonesia dalam mengatasiillegal logging dan pasar bagi kayu danproduk kayu ilegal.

Rekomendasi:

Kepada Pemerintah Indonesia:

• Presiden Megawati harus menginstruksikanpemerintahnya untuk memberikan dukunganpenuh kepada Departemen Kehutanandalam menanggulangi illegal logging.Dukungan tersebut harus mencakuppenahanan segera dan penyidikanindependen terhadap setiap petugas penegakhukum yang diduga telah membantu danbersekongkol dengan kegiatan ilegal.

• Presiden harus menghapuskan kekebalananggota MPR Abdul Rasyid dari hukumandan menunjuk tim independen yang terdiridari penyidik, jaksa dan hakim untukmenyidik dan memeriksa kegiatan bisnisRasyid dan keluarganya, laporan pajakmereka, dan dugaan keterlibatannya dalampemrosesan dan pengapalan kayu ilegal,penculikan dan usaha pembunuhan.

• Harus dilakukan penyidikan penuh atasperanan kepolisian negara dalam kasus tigakapal barang yang ditangkap oleh TNI ALpada bulan November 2001.

• Harus dibentuk sebuah satuanpenanggulangan kejahatan hutan yangindependen yang terdiri dari penyidik, jaksadan hakim yang jujur untuk memprosessecara hukum kasus-kasus kejahatan hutanyang paling serius.

• Hingga terbentuk sistem yang transparandan terpercaya, kayu-kayu sitaan harusdihancurkan secara rutin untuk menghindarisegala kesempatan pemanfaatan aktivitasyang ilegal.

• Kegiatan bisnis militer harus transparan danbisa dipertanggungjawabkan.

Kepada komunitas internasional:

• Pada waktu mempertimbangkan pinjamandan bantuan untuk Pemerintah Indonesia,keputusan sepatutnya didasarkan sebagianpada seberapa seriusnya PemerintahIndonesia menangani reformasi sistempenegakan hukum dan peradilan yangterkait dengan kehutanan.

• Dukungan finansial dan teknis harusdiberikan kepada Pemerintah Indonesiauntuk menangani reformasi peradilan danjuga guna mengembangkan mekanismeuntuk menentukan dan melacak kayu legaldari hutan sampai ke konsumen.

• Negara-negara konsumen kayu harusmembuat undang-undang baru untukmencegah impor kayu dan produk kayu darisumber ilegal.

References/ Referensi

37

26. Jakarta Post “Govt set up new agency for forestindustry” 20 August 2002

27. Konsorsium LSM Kalimantan Tengah, ‘Suarakeprihatinan terhadap dilantiknya GubernurKalimantan Tengah periode 2000-2005.10/3/00

28. ABC 4 Corners interview with Abi Kusno, 28 June 2002

29. www.suarakarya-online.com “Papua refuse log exportban” 2 July 2002

30. EIA/Telapak “The Final Cut” 199931. Suara Pembaruan “The arrest of Chinese ships:

released for lack of evidence?” 8 July 200232. Statement made to police by Captain Gu Zhengban

Master of the MV Rong Chen. 7/1/02Copy of statement held by EIA/Telapak.

33. Suara Pembaruan “The arrest of Chinese ships:released for lack of evidence?” 8 July 2002

34. Amount seized by authorities from three ships, theMV Sea Utility escaped

35. Document obtained by EIA/Telapak from governmentsource, chronology of events and arrest of threeforeign log-smuggling ships in Tanjung Priok.

36. Certificate of Legitimacy of Forest Product. Article no 50 and 78 of Law No 41/1999

37. Fixture notices between shipping companies andcharterers giving the destination as China


39. Kronologi Kejadian dan kegiatan penyidikan kasus 3 kapal asing

40. The arrest of Chinese Ships: A test of police sincerity.Heri S.Soba. Suara Pembaruan, July 8, 2002

41. Pt Lingga Marintama. Pemberitahuan PengoperasianKapal Asing (PPKA). 5/11/01.

42. Kronologi Kejadian dan kegiatan penyidikan kasus 3 kapal asing

43. Local sources, September 200244. Kronologi Kejadian dan kegiatan penyidikan kasus

3 kapal asing45. ibid46. Suara Pembaruan “The arrest of Chinese ships:

released for lack of evidence?” 8 July 200247. ABC 4 Corners interview with Abi Kusno,

28 June 200248. ibid49. Kompas Newspaper 9 February 2002. Per’s comm

local sources to EIA/Telapak

1. Transparency International “Corruption PerceptionsIndex 2002” August 2002

2. Jakarta Post “RI judiciary worse than thought: UNrapporteur” August 2002

3. Jakarta post “Report reveals corruption in court isorganised” August 2002

4. TI press release “Corrupt political elites andunscrupulous investors kill sustainable growth in itstracks, highlights new index” 28 August 2002

5. Yale University Press release, 26 January 20016. Letter from Police Brigadier General Trimada Dani to

MOF, April 20027. Confidential briefing, 23 August 20028. Jakarta post “Report reveals corruption in court is

organised” August 20029. Jakarta Post “Judges admit the country’s judiciary is

pathetic” August 200210. AFP “Indonesia’s weak law enforcement, corruption

spells forest disaster” 18 August 200211. Indonesia-UK Tropical Forest Management

Programme, “Illegal Logging in Indonesia” 199912. Elsham News Service “The army’s tainted logging

business in Papua” 30 July 200213. Financial Times Opinion 20 August 200114. Audit Terhadap Yayasan Militer. I Gde Artjana. 15. Jakarta Post “Weak Law Enforcement blamed for

rampant illegal logging” 24 August 200216. Jakarta Post “Governor lashes out at illegal logging”

24 August 200217. Jakarta Post “SE Sulawesi environment deteriorating”

19 August 200218. Jakarta Post “East Java forests in critical condition”

23 August 200219. Jakarta Post “Despite Johannesburg Summit,

Lampung still abuses forest” 27 August 200220. International Herald Tribune “Indonesia’s forests are

vanishing faster than ever” 25 January 200021. Jakarta Post “Illegal logging threatens power project”

27 August 200222. Banjarmasin Pos “Marzuki: Tuntaskan Kasus

Penjarahan Tanjung Puting” 4 September 200023. Indonesian Observer “Minister seeks swift arrest of

MPR member” 6 December 200024. Jakarta Post “Mega calls for logging moratorium”

13 May 200225. Jakarta Post “Govt to set up green crimes team”

8 July 2002

References/ Referensi50. Gelar Perkara. Tersangka 3 Nakhoda Kapal51. Surat Perintah Penghentian Penyidikan No Pol:

SPPP/71.C/V/2002/Pidter52. Confidential internal document sourced 13 June 200253. Article 108 of the Criminal Code in Indonesia grants

a citizen the right to report an intention to commit acrime or a criminal act



56. Andrew Wasley. Danger on the Green Beat. October29, 2002. Press Gazette On-Line


58. Copy of Fixture notice between BAL Shipping (HK)Co Ltd and COSCO Xiamen dated 5/10/01

59. Statement from Master of MV Rong Chen to CoscoGroup Xiamen Ocean Shipping CO. 7/1/02

60. 0811-52716761. Statement from Master of MV Rong Chen to Cosco

Group Xiamen Ocean Shipping Co. 7/1/0262. ABC 4 Corners interview with Abi Kusno,

28 June 200263. Banjarmasin Pos, 5 September 2002 and Kalteng Pos,

30 August 200264. Confidential source, 6 September 200265. EIA/Telapak Map showing infrastructure of logging in

TPNP 200166. Confidential source, 6 September 200267. Banjarmasin Pos, 5 September 200268. Ashley Leiman, Orangutan Foundation,

28 August 200269. Ashley Leiman, Orangutan Foundation pers.comm.

6 September 200270. Confidential source, 6 September 200271. The Timber Mafia. ABCTV 4Corners, July 200272. Confidential source, 6 September 200273. Kalteng Pos. 30 August 200274. Banjarmasin Pos, 30 August 200275. Banjarmasin Pos, 5 September 200276. Confidential source, 6 September 200277. Banjarmasin Pos, 5 September 2002

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