IT is easy to understand the fury of Forestry Minister Kaban when judges found suspected illegal loggers not guilty. When he took up his job, Kaban vowed to wage war on the plunderers of the forests. His desire to stop illegal logging became a priority during his first 100 days in office.

As soon as he could, the Minister set up Operation Preserve Forest in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. The results were commendable, with several illegal loggers