VZCZCXRO8117
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3185/01 3200917
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160917Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7091
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1587
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4494
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1133
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4297
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3353

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 003185 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND OES/ETC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TPHY TBIO TRGY ENRG ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA ESTH HIGHLIGHTS: AUGUST - OCTOBER 2007 
 
¶1. Summary: The Indonesian Supreme Court hosted a judiciary workshop 
on wildlife crime and prosecution under the ASEAN Wildlife 
Enforcement Network (WEN) program in August.  The Vice Governor of 
Jakarta announced on September 27 that Jakarta could potentially 
receive $2 million in funding from developed countries under the 
Kyoto Protocol if it can reduce its CO2 emissions. A 2007 survey 
found that despite overall decreases in other parts of the island, 
Sumatran rhino populations in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park 
and Way Kambas National Park in Lampung increased by up to 30 
animals.  On September 29, Vice President Yusuf Kalla announced that 
starting in 2008, Indonesia would increase its reforestation target 
from 1 million to 2 million hectares per year.  On September 25, the 
Head of Forest Office of West Papua said that the Governors of Papua 
and West Papua provinces would release a joint decree to ban log 
exports from Papua.  The State Ministry of Environment announced on 
September 15 that it aims to phase out imports of ozone-depleting 
substances by the end of 2007 as set in the Montreal Protocol. On 
October 7, Customs officials successfully foiled efforts to smuggle 
70 rare animals through Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta.  The 
State Ministry for Research and Technology and the United Nations 
Development Programme conducted a "Train the Trainer" session on 
open-source geographic information system software in Jakarta on 
October 22-27. On October 3, the Jakarta provincial government 
granted Rp 40 billion ($4.4 million) to improve health and education 
services in eight of its satellite cities.  At a ceremony to 
commemorate World Sight Day, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced 
that it would increase its focus on reducing the numbers of 
vision-impaired children. Several residents of Wolotau Village in 
the Kota Baru sub-district of the Ende Regency were stricken with 
anthrax after eating contaminated buffalo meat in mid-October.  The 
Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatau" Volcano, began spitting out 
flaming rocks and smoke in late October.  On October 23, the WWF 
Program Coordinator for West Kalimantan Hermayani Putera announced 
that poachers had smuggled rare plant species including orchids and 
nepenthes (also known as tropical pitcher plants) from Kalimantan to 
Malaysia. End Summary 
 
Indonesia Hosts ASEAN WEN Judiciary Training 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  The Indonesian Supreme Court hosted a judiciary workshop on 
wildlife crime and prosecution under the ASEAN WEN program in August 
in Jakarta. The two-day workshop brought together representatives 
from Indonesia's judicial sector and focused on prosecution, 
investigation, Indonesian laws governing protection of wild animals 
and plants, local and trans-national cooperation with other 
agencies, and ASEAN-wide initiatives on Mutual Legal Assistance. 
Judicial officers from Thailand, Malaysia and the United States 
joined the event in order to share best practices and increase 
international cooperation to fight trans-national criminals involved 
in the wildlife trade.  Indonesia plans a follow-up training for the 
national police in February 2008. 
 
Jakarta May Be Eligible for Funding for CO2 Reduction 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3.  On September 27, Vice Governor of Jakarta Fauzi Wibowo announced 
that Jakarta could potentially receive $2 million in funding from 
developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol if it can reduce its 
CO2 emissions. To be eligible for the funding, Jakarta would have to 
meet United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) certification 
requirements.  Fauzi stated that the Jakarta administration is 
implementing a clean air project to try to meet the UNEP standards. 
Dollaris R. Suhadi, Project Manager of the Clean Air Project, 
explained that achieving UNEP certification will take up to a year 
of research and between $500,000 and $1 million in funding.  Jakarta 
officials are optimistic that the city will be able to meet UNEP 
requirements, citing for example that since the city's bus ways 
became operational in 2004-2005, the total number of private 
vehicles on the road has decreased by 14%. 
 
Survey Shows Sumatran Rhino Population on the Rise 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  A 2007 survey conducted by the Rhino Protection Unit (RPU) and 
Yayasan Badak Indonesia found that despite overall decreases in 
other parts of the island, Sumatran rhino populations in Bukit 
Barisan Selatan National Park and Way Kambas National Park in 
Lampung increased by between 24 and 30 animals (to a total of 60 and 
85 in each park, respectively).  Coordinator of the RPU Arief 
Rubiyanto stated the increase was unexpected, considering the many 
threats to the rare animals from poachers and territorial 
encroachment due to illegal logging and forest conversion 
activities.  RPU patrolling activities in both parks and the curbing 
of poaching contributed to the improved numbers.  In recognition of 
 
JAKARTA 00003185  002 OF 003 
 
 
his efforts, Rubiyanto received the Disney Conservation Award from 
the Walt Disney Corporation. 
 
Indonesia Reforestation Target Raised to 2 Million Hectares Per 
Year 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5.  On September 29, Vice President Yusuf Kalla announced that 
starting in 2008, Indonesia would increase its reforestation target 
from 1 million to 2 million hectares per year.  Kalla added that the 
international community could not blame Indonesia for cutting its 
forests in the past, since timber consuming countries such as the 
U.S., Japan and Korea invested in the concession business. Note: 
Although the central government's sets the target, responsibility 
for implementation falls to the regional governments, who may face 
difficulty meeting the increased level. 
 
Papua Provincial Government Bans Log Exports 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6.  On September 25, the Head of Forest Office of West Papua 
Province said that the Governor of Papua Barnabas Suebu and Governor 
of West Papua Abraham O. Atururi would release a joint decree to ban 
log exports from Papua.  The Papuan administration wants to push 
investors to open wood processing facilities in Papua rather than 
shipping logs out from Papua.  There are currently 25 concessions 
within a 4.6 million hectare area, while there is only one wood 
processing facility, which is located in Sorong.  The Papuan 
government will implement the ban incrementally, beginning with a 
moratorium on 30 percent of log exports. TIME magazine highlighted 
Governor Suebu in October as an environmental hero for his 
conservation efforts. 
 
Government to Halt Ozone-Depleting Imports 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  The State Ministry of Environment announced on September 15 that 
it aims to phase out imports of ozone-depleting substances by the 
end of 2007 as set in the Montreal Protocol.  The Ministry said that 
as of August, imports of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) for the year had 
reached 193 metric tons, down from 2,331 metric tons in 2006. 
Officials stated that the ministry had phased out the use of 1,209 
metric tons of CFCs from several sectors in 2006 and would eliminate 
use of CFCs from the industrial sector by June 2008. 
 
Indonesian Customs Officials Foil Animal Smugglers 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶8.  On October 7, Customs officials successfully foiled efforts to 
smuggle 70 rare animals through Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta. 
The Ministry of Finance's Investigation and Enforcement Section 
reported that Indonesian citizen Jonathan Leo Nardha had tried to 
smuggle the rare animals in speaker boxes.  Nardha was transporting 
the animals from Malaysia for Indonesian customers in Jakarta. 
 
Disaster Data Base Training Conducted in Jakarta 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9.  The State Ministry for Research and Technology and the United 
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted a "Train the Trainer" 
session on open-source geographic information system (GIS) software 
in Jakarta on October 22-27.  Francis Sarmiento III, Project Officer 
for the UNDP's ASEAN Plus Three Sub-regional Node International Open 
Source Network, explained that Indonesia needed good, efficient, 
effective and fast local and national databases and information 
systems to anticipate and manage natural disasters.  Sarmiento 
explained that database and GIS implementation using closed software 
sources is difficult for developing countries due budget 
limitations.  To address this challenge, the international community 
has developed GIS applications using free open source software for 
use by countries such as Indonesia.  Around 30 participants with key 
disaster mitigation responsibilities in the Indonesian government 
took part in the training. 
 
Jakarta Grants Funding for Health Services 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  On October 3, the Jakarta provincial government granted Rp 40 
billion ($4.4 million) to improve health and education services in 
eight of its satellite cities.  The grant would support efforts to 
establish community health centers and reduce the number of 
outbreaks of communal diseases.  The grant includes the surrounding 
cities of Bogor, Depok, Bekasi and Cianjur in West java Province, as 
well as Tangerang in Banten. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00003185  003 OF 003 
 
 
GOI Seeks to Reduce Vision Impaired Numbers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  At a ceremony to commemorate World Sight Day, the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) announced that it would increase its focus on reducing 
the numbers of visually impaired children. The MOH has conducted 
several programs under this initiative, including preventative 
measures through early detection of blindness in community health 
centers, provision of vitamin A supplements to combat deficiencies 
that raise the risk of blindness, and subsidies for regular exams 
and eyeglasses for poorer families. The MOH has established a 
national commission to tackle blindness and other sight disorders. 
 
 
Anthrax attacks villagers in East Nusa Tenggara 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶12.  The Head of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Sub Office of Veterinary 
of Livestock Office, Maria Geong, reported on October 30 that 
several residents of Wolotau Village in the Kota Baru sub-district 
of the Ende Regency were stricken with anthrax after eating 
contaminated buffalo meat.  Around 20 villagers were in critical 
condition and hospitalized.  Geong instructed the Health and 
Livestock Offices to isolate the area, and the Ende Health Office 
sent medical teams to the village to support the effort.  Ende 
Regency has been an endemic anthrax area since 1994, where anthrax 
spores can live up to 60 years. 
 
Anak Krakatau Volcano Spits Flames 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  The Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatau" Volcano, began 
spitting out flaming rocks and smoke in late October. Saut 
Simatupang of Indonesia's Center for Vulcanology and Geological 
Hazard Mitigation predicted that the volcano would continue to 
rumble for some time but posed little danger to the area.  Anak 
Krakatau sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. 
 
"Nepenthes" Flies from Kalimantan 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  On October 23, the WWF Program Coordinator for West Kalimantan 
Hermayani Putera announced that poachers had smuggled rare plant 
species including orchids and nepenthes (also known as tropical 
pitcher plants) from Kalimantan to Malaysia.  They hunted the plants 
in the Meratus Mountain area and the Hampangin Forest, located in 
the Katingan Ilir Sub-district of Katinan Regency (approximately 40 
miles from Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan).  Demand for these 
species has increased in Malaysia, leading to an increase in 
poaching in Indonesia.  The Indonesian Orchid Association expressed 
worry that these activities are threatening the sustainability of 
the species.  Malaysian consumers allegedly pay local people to 
collect the rare and protected plants in Kalimantan's forests for 
sale.  One pot of Nepenthes is worth Rp 20,000 (approximately 
$2.00), and the price for a Black Orchid ranges from Rp 45,000 to Rp 
75,000 (approximately $4.80 to $8.10). To minimize the threat of 
poaching, the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Office 
has trained local residents to develop nurseries for the endangered 
plants. 
 
 
HUME