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Edition 03 August 2020
Cover Story
Mining Road to Cut Through Sumatran Forest
MINISTER of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar gave the subsidiary of Rajawali Corpora, owned by tycoon Peter Sondakh, the permit to build a road for transporting coal in Harapan Forest in Jambi and South Sumatra. Before issuing the permit, Minister Siti even went as far as revising a regulation that would have prohibited building the road. The Harapan Forest restoration area, which is a natural habitat for Sumatra’s endemic animals, will be split by the 26-kilometer-long and 60-meter-wide road. Besides destroying trees in the secondary forest, at a value of over Rp400 billion, the mining road will also threaten biodiversity and indigenous communities, and will open the opportunity for illegal loggers to enter the restored production forest. This report is completed in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center, through the Rainforest Journalism Fund program.
Cover Story
A Problematic Shortcut
THREE large trucks moved slowly on a road that was still muddy from the previous night’s rain, at the center of an acacia plantation owned by Bumi Persada Permai in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, on June 22.
Cover Story
Potential Communal Conflicts
The development of a coal mining road in Harapan Forest widens access for loggers. The forest’s biodiversity is under threat.
Cover Story
Permit is in Line with Procedure
Environment and Forestry ministry secretary-general Bambang Hendroyono:
National
The Elephant in the Classroom
The Mobilization Organization Program soured the relationship between Nadiem Makarim and the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah. The program is considered flawed since the initial selection process.
News Capsule
End of Joko Tjandra’s flight
Criminal fugitive in the case of the Bank Bali payment rights, Joko Soegiarto Tjandra, was brought back to Indonesia by the police on Thursday, July 30.
Economy
Empty Coffers, Delayed Promises
The cash flow of state electricity company PLN worsened. It has been hit by subdued sales, high purchase prices, additional debts, and sluggish compensation.
Economy
Huge Discounts, Going Rural
PLN’s electricity sales nosedived due to the pandemic. It is now intensifying discounts and expanding its markets.
Law
Law
Family Feuds
Law
Nus Kei: I Have Forgiven John Kei
Around the end of June, Agrapinus Rumatora alias Nus Kei suddenly found his home in the Green Lake Housing Complex, Tangerang, Banten, stormed by dozens of thugs.
Interview
Kusnandi Rusmil, Chief, Covid-19 Vaccine Research & Clinical Trial Team: We Got a Head Start to Develop the Vaccine Faster
The phase III clinical trial of Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s Covid-19 vaccine has generated a lot of interest from prospective volunteers. Four days after the open registration began, over 1,000 volunteers have signed up for the trial conducted by the research team from the faculty of medicine of the Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java.
In Memoriam
He Never Betrayed Poetry
ESTEEMED poet Sapardi Djoko Damono breathed his last on Sunday, July 19. Esthetically speaking, his work achieved a level of its own in the Indonesian literary firmament.
Letters
The Tiger Day
Photo
Picture Window
Mad Mud
Radda village in North Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, is submerged under the mud after a flash flood swept the area on Wednesday, July 15. The flood was a result of heavy rains in the region that caused the Salukula and Meli rivers to overflow. As many as 21 people lost their lives, dozens are missing, and hundreds of houses destroyed./ANTARA/Moullies/ABHE/foc.
Opinion
Losing Hope
THE decision by the environment and forestry ministry to grant permission for the construction of a road through the middle of the Hutan Harapan (forest of hope) in Jambi and South Sumatra is a step back in the endeavor to overcome climate change.
Opinion
Learning the Ropes
Education Ministry’s project to build the capacity of teachers has led to intense public debate. There were problems with the selection process.
Opinion
Powerful Preman
Preman are still involved in public safety matters that should be the responsibility of the police. The nation must not be defeated by these thugs.
Opinion
Struggling to Survive
The financial situation of PLN continues to worsen. This is due to complications as a result of a bad national electricity policy.