Jikalahari

PEKANBARU--MI:  Around 1.000 inhabitants from 5 villages in sub-district Teluk  Meranti, Pelalawan district, Riau, Friday (8/1), declare a pledge to save 700 thousands  hectare peat land area in Kampar Peninsula.

The inhabitants rejected the area which comprise of the deepest peat dome in the world  (up to 20 meters depth) to be converted  into Industrial Plantation (HTI). Those  inhabitants come from villages: Teluk Meranti, Pulau Muda, Pulau Binjai, Kuala Panduk,  and Segamai.

The pledge of Kampar Peninsula rescue recited by public leader from Teluk Meranti;  Rustam. The whole community who attended the pledge located on the soccer field at   Teluk Meranti subdistrict  followed the declaration. The contents of the pledge states promise to fight and defense forest area across or Kampar Peninsula because this area is community right’s.

“Alongside with this we also establish Struggling Communication  Forum for Kampar Peninsula. We expect this forum could defense community  aspiration”, Rustam said.  

That pledge also attended by Chief Executive of the National Forestry Council (DKN); Halimi Taufik, Vice Chairman of the Forum Communications  of Community Leader Riau (FKPMR); Edyanus Herman Halim, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI); Hariansyah Riau Usman, the Director of Social Development  Partnership (Scale Up) and some representatives of NGOs, and Teluk Meranti Community
leaders.  

In his welcoming speech The Chief Executive of National Forestry Council (DKN) said  the importance of concrete effort to save forest area in Indonesia, including Kampar Peninsula which is a protected peat land area due to its depth (more than 3 meters).

"I come directly  in this moment to hear what community wants in their effort to save forest. I will bring  the aspiration to the Ministry of Forestry in Jakarta,” Taufik said.

He explains that the rate of forest destruction in Indonesia is one of the biggest in whole world. The main cause is over lapping in the licensing.  "This lead to the escalation of land conflicts between community and company,” he added.