Jakarta- Environmental NGOs including Greenpeace met with President Joko Widodo at the palace on Friday to discuss solutions to the peatlands and forest fires crisis. Following that meeting, President Jokowi held a cabinet meeting and issued a statement that there would be “no new concessions on peatlands”.
Greenpeace Indonesia’s Longgena Ginting, who attended the palace meeting said on Monday:
“Indonesia is in state of emergency with fires burning from Papua to Sumatra. The President’s decision to fight the fires by protecting forests and peatlands and enforcing the law is a good first step. Now palm oil and pulp companies, whose decades of forest and peatland destruction have caused today’s fires, must respond in kind. Companies must work around the clock to put out fires, build fire breaks and block drainage canals. Everything else must be put on hold until the crisis is under control.
“The Indonesian people have a right to know what is happening on the ground. Companies must be transparent and support the President’s One Map proposal by publishing all concession maps by the end of October. Instead of attacking IPOP and other sustainable industry initiatives, the government should release the maps it has and name and shame companies that refuse to publish their own maps.
“The people of Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region should not have to endure another haze crisis. There must be an immediate, industry-wide moratorium on forest and peatland development. From now on, there must be a unanimous agreement that any company putting lives at risk by clearing forests will be unable to sell its produce. Companies that ignore the warnings and continue to destroy forests and peatlands must be held responsible for fires and haze engulfing Southeast Asia.”
Media Contacts:
Longgena Ginting, Indonesia Country Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
[email protected]
Sol Gosetti, International Communications Coordinator, Indonesia Forest Campaign
E: [email protected], M: +447380845754