Guardians of the Forests

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

They live in the farthest reaches of the forests. Their fathers are the trees and their mothers are the rivers. Relying mainly on their wits and courage, they try by all the means within their power to take care of our forests. They try to prevent the spread of illegal logging and to drive away the wood merchants and plantation companies who destroy the forests. They chase away investors who destroy the marble mountains and risk their lives to block the gold mines from looters. These loyal children of the forests are the Iban Dayak tribes from the interior of the Kapuas Hilir in West Kalimantan; the inhabitants of Kasepuhan Cisitu at the foot of Mount Halimun in West Java; and the Mollo tribe on the highlands of the island of Timor in East Nusa Tenggara.

. tempo : 172985580172.

The waters of the Kapuas River which flow by the Sungei Utik village in the Kapuas Hulu Regency in West Kalimantan, suddenly turned muddy. In the past, the waters of the river were always crystal clear. A week ago the mud had still not subsided.

We repeatedly asked ourselves what could be causing the problem at the source of the river?" Rengga, a young man from Sungei Utik village told a Tempo reporter in Tobleo, North Halmahera. Rengga was in Tobl

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