Bangkok--16 Nov--Greenpeace Southeast Asia
The Indonesian police authorities, under orders from the Governor of Riau Province, will today begin the eviction of Greenpeace activists and local community members participating in the Climate Defenders camp on the threatened Kampar Peninsula in the heartland of Sumatra’s rainforest. Police and immigration authorities have also ordered the deportation of 11 international activists who participated in a non-violent direct action to expose and stop blatant and illegal destruction of peatlands by Asia Pacific Resource International Holdings (APRIL).
The police action occurred following the Greenpeace unfurling of a huge banner in an area of freshly destroyed rainforest reading “Obama: you can stop this” and other activists locking themselves to seven excavators owned by APRIL. Activists had earlier vowed not to leave the concession until APRIL, one of Indonesia’s biggest pulp and paper producers, publicly announced they will stop forest clearing in the Kampar Peninsula. The action was also intended to remind world leaders, particularly US President Obama and Indonesian President Yudhoyono, that they have just weeks left to avert runaway climate change by stopping deforestation here and in other major forested countries.
“It is shocking that the Indonesian authorities have chosen to take action against Greenpeace and community members who are defending our forests, instead of the real forest criminals like APRIL who are greedily and illegally destroying our precious peatlands at the expense of the Indonesian people and the climate. This routine destruction sanctioned by public officials who are themselves being investigated for corruption, has made Indonesia the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.” said Bustar Maitar, of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, “President Yudhoyono has committed to cutting our country’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 41%. We are helping him honour that commitment by spotlighting the priority areas for protection.” he added.
Greenpeace opened the camp three weeks ago to bring urgent attention to the role that rainforest and peatland destruction play in driving dangerous climate change in the run up to the critical UN Copenhagen Climate Summit this December. The Greenpeace camp has received support from celebrities such as ‘Inglourious Basterds’ star Melanie Laurent, Indonesian folk-rock star Iwan Fals, as well as a visit from the US Ambassador to Indonesia. Greenpeace has also extended invitations to Indonesia’s new Ministers of Forestry, Governance and Environment to visit the camp.
“It is ironic that the police are taking instructions from the very Governor who is under investigation by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for illegally handing out logging permits, and a company that is violating a standing Presidential decree on clearing peatlands,” said Nur Hidayati, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Country Representative for Indonesia.
“Greenpeace is calling on President Yudhoyono to stand for what’s right by evicting the forest destroyers and not peaceful forest defenders. This is his opportunity to show that he is serious about his 100 days agenda to end the strangle hold of “mafia” interests in the country and honor the commitments he has already made to reduce Indonesia’s massive greenhouse gas emissions which are coming mainly from deforestation. Halting deforestation in countries like Indonesia is crucial in order to tackle runaway climate change. President Yudhoyono and world leaders have an historic chance to make a binding agreement at the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit that help protect forests globally“ she concluded.
Globally, a million hectares of forests are destroyed every month — that’s an area the size of a football pitch every two seconds. This emits so much CO2 that deforestation is one of the main causes of climate change and is responsible for about a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Largely as a result of emissions from deforestation, Indonesia is the world’s third largest climate polluter, after China and the United States.
Greenpeace is calling for an end to deforestation globally by 2020 as a key part of the UN climate negotiations this December.
Contacts:
Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner, tel: +62
(0) 813 4466 6135
Nur Hidayati, said Nur Hidayati, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Country
Representative for Indonesia, tel: +62 (0) 8129972642
Hikmat Soeritanuwijaya, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Media Campaigner,
tel: +62 (0) 818930271
Martin Baker, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Communications Director, tel:
+62 (0) 8131 5829513
Wiriya Kingwatcharapong
Media Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Thailand
Tel +66 (0)2 357 1921 # 115
Fax +66 (0)2 357 1929
skype wiriyanueng