VZCZCXRO0334
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1016/01 1671026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161026Z JUN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2555
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5950
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES AND EAP 
USTR FOR DBROOKS 
USAID FOR ANE, EGAT 
BANGKOK FOR RDMA 
USFS FOR CMACKIE 
TREASURY FOR KBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID KGHG ECON PGOV ID
SUBJECT: ILLEGAL TIMBER SEIZURES IN INDONESIA 
 
¶1.  Summary: Recent seizures of suspected illegal timber in East 
Java and Papua highlight the continued challenge of illegal logging 
in Indonesia.  The USG continues to support the Government of 
Indonesia's efforts to tackle the problem through capacity building. 
 This support includes an upcoming illegal logging/timber training 
workshop which the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will 
conduct in mid-July for Customs officials in East Java, using funds 
set aside under the bilateral U.S.-Indonesia MOU on illegal logging. 
 End Summary. 
 
Surabaya: Customs Seizes Suspect Timber 
--------------------------------------- 
¶2.  On May 15, Customs officials in Surabaya reported to the 
provincial parliament that they had seized 190 cubic meters of 
merbau wood being transported in nine containers.  Officials said 
the timber, valued at up to USD 190,000, was being exported to 
China.  The Tanjung Perak Port Custom Office's Head of Investigation 
and Services, Choirul Saleh, said that his office seized the 
containers because they found discrepancies between the wood and 
accompanying documents.  The exporter, PT. Surabaya Trading and Co., 
claimed that the wood would be used as building parts for a bridge, 
and that state-owned company PT. Sucofindo had surveyed and 
certified the timber. 
 
¶3.  On May 26, East Java parliament summoned Sucofindo, Tanjung 
Perak-Surabaya Customs, the East Java Office of Trade and PT 
Surabaya Trading and Co. to provide more information about the case. 
 At the meeting, Saleh stated that his office had asked the East 
Java Office of Trade whether the shipment's documentation satisfied 
regulatory requirements.  Saleh said he is awaiting a response 
before taking further action. 
 
Papua: Hoard of Timber Found 
---------------------------- 
¶4.  On June 1, the Asmat Indigenous Community Association (LMAA) of 
Asmat Regency, Papua Province, discovered an abandoned stockpile of 
approximately 20,000 merbau logs.  The logs, with diameters ranging 
from 70-100 centimeters, were located on communal lands 
approximately 9 hours from the nearest town.  LMAA suspects that the 
logs were felled illegally.  Besides the logs, LMAA also found heavy 
equipment, including a bulldozer, backhoe, ten trucks, 8 storage 
tanks containing 20,000 liters of fuel, and electric generators. 
The group did not find any workers at the location, and LMAA Vice 
Chairman Anandus Anakat opined the workers ran away because the 
suspected company (PT. Rimba Megah Lestari-RML) mistreated them. 
 
¶5.  The Regent of Asmat, Yuvensius Biakai, claims he never issued a 
forest concession permit (HPH) in his district.  However, District 
Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner Mursalim admits he provided police 
protection in 2008, upon instruction from his superiors, to a 
transport vessel bringing heavy equipment to the location.  Asmat 
Regency's Forest Office Head Ellias Bapaimu confirmed that PT. RML 
had been operating in Asmat but did not know who issued its 
concession permit.  He revealed PT. RML had been unable to remove 
the logs because the Governor of Papua issued a decree in 2007 
banning log exports from Papua Province. 
 
Merbau: Attractive and Endangered 
--------------------------------- 
¶6.  Merbau (species Intsia bijuga and Intsia palembanica) is a 
slow-growing timber species that takes 75-80 years to reach 
commercial size.  It is highly sought after and is threatened by 
destructive and illegal logging.  Indonesia is in consultations with 
other countries in Southeast Asia to consider listing merbau under 
Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species' (CITES).  This means Indonesia would require export permits 
for merbau from Indonesia, while other States would at least have to 
provide certificates of origin for their merbau exports.  The tree 
is highly sought after and is mainly sourced from Southeast Asia, in 
particular Papua and Papua New Guinea. 
 
CBP to Train Customs Officials 
------------------------------ 
¶7.  The U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) will conduct a training 
workshop on July 13-17, 2009 for Indonesian Customs officials in 
Surabaya, East Java.  The workshop is one of the final activities 
funded from the original USD 1 million set aside for cooperative 
activities under the U.S.-Indonesia MOU on Combating Illegal Logging 
and Associated Trade (2006). 
 
 
JAKARTA 00001016  002 OF 002 
 
 
NORTH