VZCZCXRO7724
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0303/01 0360910
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050910Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3145
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0399
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3809
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0212
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3856
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3303

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/IET, OES/IET, AND OES/ETC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TPHY TBIO TRGY ENRG ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA ESTH HIGHLIGHTS - JANUARY 2007 
 
 
¶1.  Summary.  Minister of Forestry M.S. Kaban and European Union 
(EU) Commissioners Louis Michel and Stavros Dimas agreed in Brussels 
on January 8 to initiate formal negotiations on a voluntary 
partnership agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance 
and Trade.  On January 12, the leaders of Brunei Darussalam, 
Indonesia, and Malaysia officially endorsed an agreement to conserve 
the "Heart of Borneo" (HOB) at a meeting on the margins of the 12th 
ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines.  On January 17, World Wildlife 
Fund (WWF) Indonesia issued a report asserting that the development 
of coffee plantations in and around Bukit Barisan Selatan National 
Park threatens Sumatran rhino, elephant and tiger habitats.  On 
January 24, Vice President Yusuf Kalla announced that the government 
would open a tender process for a 2 million hectares reforestation 
project in 2007.  On January 10, the Indonesian National Space and 
Aviation Agency (LAPAN) launched its first Indonesia-built micro 
satellite in conjunction with the Technical University of Berlin. 
The Government of Indonesia (GOI) issued a new regulation on 
obtaining foreign research permits on December 15 that requires all 
research permit applications to go through the State Ministry of 
Research and Technology.  Ministry of Health data indicate that 
dengue fever infected over 8000 individuals and claimed at least 144 
lives in Indonesia during January 2007.  End summary. 
 
Indonesia and EU Cooperate to Combat Illegal Logging 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶2.  Minister of Forestry M.S. Kaban and EU Commissioners Louis 
Michel and Stavros Dimas areed in Brussels on January 8, 2007 to 
initiate formal negotiations on a VPA on Forest Law Enforcement, 
Governance and Trade.  The agreement will ensure the legality of 
Indonesian forest products exported to the EU.  Minister Kaban noted 
that, under the agreement, Indonesia and the EU would establish an 
independent body to monitor the legality of log sources.  Indonesia 
and the EU plan to conduct a series of informal consultations with 
stakeholders in Indonesia in conjunction with the negotiations. 
Cooperation under the agreement will include capacity building, 
market and technical studies, and knowledge sharing. 
 
Three Countries Issue Statement on Heart of Borneo 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3.  On January 12, the leaders of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and 
Malaysia officially endorsed an agreement to conserve the Heart of 
Borneo (HOB) area at the third Summit of the Brunei, Indonesia, 
Malaysia and Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area in Cebu, 
Philippines.  Leaders from the three countries plan to sign the 
joint declaration in Bali at the United Nations Forum on Forests on 
February 12.  The HOB initiative aims to promote sustainable 
development, protect vital natural resources and reduce poverty. 
The HOB covers approximately 220,000 km2 (approximately 84,900 
square miles) of equatorial rainforests and numerous wildlife 
species.  Scientists have identified more than 13 primate species, 
350 bird species, 150 reptile and amphibian species, and over 15,000 
plants species in the area.  The HOB is also the source of 14 of the 
island of Kalimantan's 20 major rivers.  WWF has announced plans to 
assist the three governments in implementing the joint conservation 
plan.  The U.S. Government also has provided $100,000 in funding to 
advance the HOB initiative. 
 
Plantation Development Threatens Rare Sumatra Species 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4.  On January 17, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia issued a 
report asserting that the development of coffee plantations in Bukit 
Barisan Selatan National Park threatens the habitats of a number of 
rare species.  The report, entitled "How Illegal Coffee Plantations 
Increase the Threat to Sumatran Rhino, Elephant and Tiger Habitats 
in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park," claims the increase in 
international demand for coffee has brought pressure to build 
additional plantations in the area.  Plantations in the national 
park generate roughly 45% of the coffee produced for export in 
Lampung, Sumatra, according to the report.  WWF Indonesia has called 
on central and local governments to promote alternate economic 
activities in the region to reduce dependence on coffee production. 
It has also asked countries that purchase coffee from the area to 
adopt responsible procurement policies and to control their chain of 
custody in an effort to support conservation in the park.  In 2004, 
the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural 
Organization (UNESCO) declared Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park 
as a historically important area. 
 
GOI Will Accelerate Reforestation Program in 2007 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5.  On January 24, Vice President Yusuf Kalla announced that the 
 
JAKARTA 00000303  002 OF 002 
 
 
government will open a tender process for a 2 million hectares 
reforestation project in 2007.  Kalla noted that President Susilo 
Bambang Yudhoyono has already instructed Indonesian policymakers and 
business interests to balance the needs of the wood industry with 
the risks of deforestation.  Minister of Forestry Kaban noted that 
funding for the program will come from the State Budget, but he 
failed to specify the total amount of funding allocated to the 
project.  The reforestation project will reportedly include 
re-planting and soil enrichment programs in both publicly and 
privately held areas. 
 
LAPAN Launches First Indonesian-built Satellite 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6.  On January 10, the Indonesian National Space and Aviation Agency 
(LAPAN) launched its first Indonesia-built micro satellite in 
conjunction with the Technical University of Berlin.  The satellite 
weighed 57 kilograms (126 pounds) and was launched into orbit by a 
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C7 rocket from the Indian Space 
Research Organization's Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, 
Andhra Prakash.  LAPAN engineers cooperated with scientists from the 
Technical University of Berlin to design and assemble the satellite. 
 The total cost of the satellite program to date is Rp 30 billion 
(US$ 3.29 million).  The satellite has an expected lifespan of two 
to three years, but LAPAN is optimistic that it will continue to 
function for up to six years. 
 
¶7.  The satellite is orbiting roughly 630 kilometers (391 miles) 
above the earth and carries telemetry and telecommand transmission 
systems, as well as an altitude control system.  LAPAN will use the 
satellite for real-time monitoring of various natural hazards 
including forest fires, volcanic activity, and floods.  The 
satellite will pass over Indonesia four times a day.  Ground 
stations are located in Rumpin Serpong (Banten province), Berlin, 
and Spitzbergen, Norway.  LAPAN Deputy Chairman for Technology Agus 
Nuryanto reportedly noted that Indonesia plans to launch another 
satellite in 2009 or 2010. 
 
New Regulation on Foreign Research Permits 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8. On December 15, 2006, the GOI issued Government Regulation 
41/2006 on obtaining foreign research permits, replacing 
Presidential Decree No. 100 of 1993.  The regulation will take 
effect on December 15, 2007.  Under the new regulation, all research 
permit applications will be required to go through the State 
Ministry of Research and Technology (MENRISTEK).  The regulation 
governs all research and development activities conducted by foreign 
universities, foreign research and development agencies, private 
foreign companies and foreign individuals.  MENRISTEK is preparing a 
coordinating team to manage the new approval process, which will 
replace the current team under the Indonesian Institute of Sciences 
(LIPI). 
 
Dengue Fever Claims 144 Lives in Indonesia 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. On January 31, the Ministry of Health released data indicating 
that dengue fever has infected over 8000 individuals and claimed at 
least 144 lives in Indonesia since the start of 2007.  The Aedes 
aegypti mosquito, which can travel distances in excess of 100 
meters, transmits the disease.  Jakarta Health Agency Deputy Head 
Salimar Salmi noted recently that the constant stream of dengue 
cases was the result of the long transition between the rainy and 
dry seasons, which allows the mosquitoes to breed continuously. 
Beginning in late January, the GOI began a mass fogging campaign in 
the 41 of Jakarta's 267 sub-districts that the Government has 
declared to be "red zones."  GOI officials define red zones as areas 
in which at least three people per week contract dengue fever and/or 
at least one person per week dies from the disease. 
 
¶10.  As of January 31, the number of dengue cases in Jakarta had 
escalated to 2,022 with eight recorded fatalities.  The Jakarta city 
administration offers free dengue treatment at 17 hospitals in the 
city; however, hospitals often receive more patients than they can 
handle during the rainy season. 
 
Pascoe