Jakarta Globe
April 30, 2009
Nurdin Hasan
Banda Aceh. The Indonesian Forum for the Environment has caused a firestorm of protests by groups who say its attempt to stop a road construction project in Aceh would consign a community to continued isolation.
The forum, or Walhi, filed a complaint against Forestry Minister MS Kaban with the National Police in Jakarta on April 23 over his issuance of a permit greenlighting the construction of a 32- kilometer road linking Keude Trumon and Bulohseuma in South Aceh district.
Walhi’s Aceh office says the proposed road would threaten the Rawa Singkil conservation park. The group has accused Kaban of violating zoning regulations, conservation law and a government regulation on national land planning
Walhi Aceh’s executive director, Bambang Antariksa, said on Thursday that the nongovernmental organization would not withdraw its complaint against Kaban.
“We will not revoke the complaint because the minister has violated existing laws,” he said. “Don’t violate laws just to meet the demands of people.”
The South Aceh Youth Association, or PAS, asked Walhi on Wednesday to withdraw its complaints against Kaban, arguing that the road construction project would open up isolated villages in the area.
“We call on Walhi Aceh to withdraw its complaint against MS Kaban because this has caused anxiety among the people of Bulohseuma, who really want a land link,” said Irvan Nusir, the head of the association.
Irvan said residents of Bulohseuma were concerned the complaint could jeopardize the project to repair the road, which at one time provided the sole land link to the area.
The road was built during the Dutch colonial era but is now impassable, leaving the area accessible only by boat.
“We are fully in support of the government’s steps to free the Bulohseuma people, who are now living in isolation,” Irvan said. “Walhi should not just simply look at a map, but should also look a the condition of the people who really need a land link.”
Bulohseuma, located in the subdistrict of Trumon, is home to 621 families in three villages: Raket, Kampung Tengoh and Kuta Padang. It takes about three hours by boat to travel from the nearest town, Keude Trumon, to Bulohseuma.
However, during the rainy Bulohseuma is often completely isolated because large waves prevent a reliable sea link. The area is known for its production of high-quality honey.
Irvan said she hoped the Aceh government would ignore Walhi’s protests and continue to allocate funds to repair the road to Bulohseuma.
TAF Haikal, a spokesman for the Southwest Aceh Coastal Caucus, expressed surprise at Walhi’s complaint because Kaban’s letter approving the project clearly indicated that all parties were required to safeguard the sustainability of the Rawa Singkil conservation area.
Haikal said the road had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the inhabitants of Bulohseuma had essentially been cut off from the rest of the district.
“The population there should not be left isolated,” he said.
“The construction of the road could also take into consideration the sustainability of the Rawa Singkil animal conservation park, while at the same time thinking about the interests of the people there.”
Haikal said that Kaban, in his letter, clearly asked that the Aceh Natural Resource Conservation Agency, as well as other concerned bodies, be involved in the project to prevent any negative impacts on the park.
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