WRM Bulletin Nº 4 / September 1997

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WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES

- Article on tree plantations for South Africa

We wrote an article on the issue of tree plantations, aimed at a South African audience, for the Environmental Networking Justice Forum's bulletin. Chris Albertyn, current director of ENJF, had previously been extremely helpful in providing us with information on the plantations issue in South Africa, much of it included in "Pulping the South". Chris is also actively distributing copies of the book, which, he says, "is clearly having an impact -in the province where I live (Kwa Zulu Natal) we have formed a coalition of organisations which calls itself TIMBERWATCH". If anyone wants a copy of the article (Industrial tree plantations: a growing problem), please let us know and we will send it by email.

- An answer from Mexico

As commented in the last issue of our bulletin, we addressed a letter to the Government of Michoacan, Mexico, to inquire on the death of the peasant activist Alberto Alonso Salmeron. By means of a fax sent on August 19 we have been informed by the government that the policeman Juan Equihua Ortiz is being prosecuted for his suspected responsibility concerning this murder.

- Chile: activists against mining in Ecuador arrested

During the recent visit of Ecuatorian President Alarcon to Santiago de Chile, the police violently repressed a peaceful demonstration against a mining project of the Chilean firm CODELCO together with Mitsubishi at Imbabura province in the Ecuatorian Amazon. As a consequence Ivonne Ramos (Accion Ecologica/Friends of the Earth,Ecuador) Lucio Cuenca (Observatorio de Conflictos Ambientales, Chile) and Luis Mariano Rendon (IEP and RENACE, Chile) were arrested. We sent faxes to the Minister of Energy and Mining of Ecuador, the Chilean Ambassador in Ecuador and the president of CODELCO, expressing our concern over these events and supporting the opposition of the Chilean and Ecuatorian NGOs against the depredatory activities of CODELCO in the Ecuatorian territory. Some days later the activist were set free but they have to face a legal procedure for their protests.

- Indigenous territories threatened in Bolivia

We addressed a letter to the President and to the Forest Department (Superintendencia Forestal) of Bolivia, inquiring about the concession of indigenous territories situated in the Western Region to logging companies. This action not only is suspected to be illegal and anti-constitutional but also threatens the livelihood and cultures of forest peoples of Bolivia. We urged that these territories are given back to their legitimate owners.

- Books received

International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forest & International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Indigenous Peoples, Forest and Biodiversity, London, Eks-Skolen Trykkeri, ISSN 1024-0217. The book brings together the main statements and interventions made by the Alliance at various international fora from 1992 to 1996, expressing their concerns and proposals. Those interested in receiving it can contact the Alliance (morbeb@gn.apc.org) or IWGIA (lga@iwgia.org).

Hagemann Helmut, Bancos, Incendiarios e Florestas Tropicais. O papel da Cooperacao para o Desenvolvimento na destrucao das florestas tropicais brasileiras, Rio de Janeiro, FASE, IBASE & ISA, 1996. This research work of H.Hagemann -from Urgewald, Germany- analyses critically different projects financed by multilateral credit banks in the Brazilian territory. The book offers abundant information on the negative effects of such type of projects and presents alternatives for the effective protection of the Brazilian tropical forests. It is written in Portuguese. For more information please contact FASE (fase@ax.apc.org), IBASE (ibase@ax.apc.org) or Instituto Socioambiental (socioamb@ax.apc.org).

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WRM CAMPAIGNS

- Tupinikim and Guarani: Does the Government respect the law?

On August 12th representatives of the Tupinikim and Guarani, the federal deputies Nilton Baiano and Joao Coser and CIMI held an audience with the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Mr. Jose de Jesus Filho, to claim once again the delimitation of the boundaries of indigenous lands. During the audience, the representative of the Brazilian government asked about the possiblity of an exchange and/or a reduction of the claimed lands, with the aim of not jeopardizing the activities of Aracruz Celulose S.A. (ARCEL) and even questioned about the necessity of the claimed lands. He also expressed that the Ministry had decided to carry out an additional survey within the period of 90 days. Even if such a decision is made possible by Decree 1775/96, the Secretary’s attitude and arguments looked very close to those of ARCEL and raised doubts among the delegation. Is the Government taking into account the report of the Working Grop of FUNAI, that recommended the extension of indigenous territories to 13579 hectares? Is Article 231 of the Federal Constitution -which affirms that "the lands to which this article refers shall be inalienable and unavailable, and the rights to them shall not lapse"- being respected?

After the audience, the Executive Commission of the Tupinikim and Guarani decided: to denounce any attempt of the Brazilian government in proposing or implementing measures aimed at the exchange and/or the reduction of indigenous lands, to put pressure on the Government so that it reaffirms the conclusions of the Working Group and to mobilise supporting organizations in the same direction, and to ask customers, shareholders and investors of ARCEL to ask the company to recognise the report of the Working Group of FUNAI and to collaborate in the just demarcation of the land claimed by the indigenous communities.

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LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS

AFRICA

- FAO supports private plantations in Ghana

The Ghanaian Government has signed an agreement with the FAO to support private forestry plantations in the country. The government will benefit from a U$S 138,500 assistance package under the agreement, to design long term mechanisms to support private forestry plantations in the country.

Under a two-month project by the FAO and the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, FAO is providing the money and two foreign consultants to team up with local experts to research into private forestry plantation development and a flexible scheme for providing plantation incentives to firms, land owners, communities and individuals.

It will also come out with terms for the necessary institutional capacity for implementing practical options and ensuring effective monitoring of the results. The results envisaged by the project are long-term financing mechanisms including incentives to support a financially viable private forest plantation programme in Ghana, and information for improved private plantation management and the improved participation of small farmers in plantation development.

The Minister of Lands and Forestry, Mr Cletus Avoka, who signed the agreement on behalf of the government, said that for some time now, the government’s attention has been captured by the issue of sustainable forest management and the need to maintain a raw material base.

He said reasonable programmes had been established to ensure that the numerous mills in the country were satisfied to enable them to produce to feed both local and international markets.

Ghana lost about one third of its forest within 17 years between 1955 to 1972. Since 1977, the country’s virgin forests have been reduced from 7.44 million hectares to 1.84 million hectares through what government officials term as illegal and unconventional means. The rate of 1.71 per cent mean annual deforestation in this area exceeds that of both Asia (0,66%) and Tropical America (0,84%).

By: William Appiah, Third World Network, Africa Secretariat

- Cameroon: who conserves and who destroys forests?

The use of Cameroon’s forests is oriented to the logic of private accumulation and economic interests, regardless of the interests of the Pygmy population that depends on those forests for their survival. Forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate, due to the high prices of some types of wood in the international market, to the weight of the country’s external debt and to the collusion of government officials and international forestry companies.

The government and corporations view forests as wood to be sold for large sums of money. The Pygmy population see forests in a totally different manner. As a Bakola woman says:

"... we are in the midst of huge desolation, we no longer recognise the forest, we no longer understand what is happening. Our forests change from one day to the next. What future awaits our children? The settlements destroy the forest, and the felling of trees prevents us from gathering honey to feed our children. The noise of their huge machines is causing the animals to flee far away. The trees falling into the rivers muddy the river beds. Some fruits are becoming scarce and we have to walk for a long time to find them. And the mushrooms we used to gather everywhere are gone. ... our children have no future. Where will they find animals to hunt? The bark, the leaves and the fruits for curing and eating?"

Honey, meat, fish, water, fruit, mushrooms, medicine, firewood, wood: all this and much more is how these indigenous peoples view their forest. Wood for industry is the only product which the government and corporations see in the forest. The former viewpoint ensures forest conservation, while the latter is leading to forest destruction.

Source: Tabapssi F. Tomothee.- The Bakola Pygmies: subjected to integration and industrial forestry exploitation, Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) 4, Oct-Nov-Dec 1996

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ASIA

- A shady business in East Timor

One of the main reasons why Indonesia continues occupying East Timor after its invasion in December 1975 and based upon a continuous repression of the Maubere people are the business interests of president Suharto’s family in that country. The Indonesian Army is heavily involved in protecting the First Family’s interests in the occupied land, that cover many different economic activities, from coffee and sugarcane plantations to textile and mining.

Since 1995 they are also planning to enter the forestry sector. The company PT Fendi Hutani Lestari, which is directed by businessman Bob Hasan, one of Suharto’s best friends, has planned to established nearly 50,000 hectares of tree plantations in an area covering eleven villages in the district of Viqueque. Even if not much has been heard since the official launching of the plantation in July 1995, the strong popular opposition to other projects of this company in East Timor seems to have prevented the plan to reach its target.

Source: George J. Aditjondro (21/8/97) and The World Guide 1997/98

- Indonesia: PT TEL’s plan mounts protests

In WRM Bulletin Nr 1 (23/5/97) we informed on PT Tanjung Enim Lestari (PT TEL) plans to establish a huge pulp mill in South Sumatra. Despite protests from local communities and NGOs the project continues. Although PT TEL has not still received the necessary government license (which is to be taken for granted since President Suharto’s eldest daughter, Tutut, is a shareholder in the project herself), the company has already cleared 800 hectares of the 1,250 hectares of forested lands the factory site will occupy. On June 23 -with the strong opposition of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI)- the Environmental Impact Assessment of the project was approved. This study completely ignored several important issues, e.g.: the source of raw materials; the way local farmers, rubber tappers and villagers were forced by the company to give up their lands for the developing of the project; how wastes will be treated before their disposal in the River Lematang, which is the only source of water for domestic use for the surrounding communities and source of livelihoood for local fishermen.

Source: Down to Earth. Nr 34. August 1997.

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CENTRAL AMERICA

- US logging company leaves Guatemala

The US logging giant Simpson Forestry announced it would abandon its operations in Guatemala since a Constitutional Court ruling prohibited its access to the Rio Dulce for the transportation of logs. Guatemala’s National Commission of Protected Areas (CONAP) played a very important role in the matter by presenting a study before the Court, showing that the dredging of the river needed for log transportation, was very risky for this biodiversity-rich area. Facing the criticism of both Simpson Forestry, stating that CONAP is unqualified to talk about the matter, and that of the Chamber of Industry, according to which such kind of decisions makes Guatemala less atractive to foreign investments, CONAP and other environmental groups claim that the region should develop its ecotourism potential as a way of conserving the environment and, at the same time, creating jobs. The ruling is considered a significant and hopeful act in placing environmental protection above export profits.

Source: Ann Heinderich. NGONET. annh@northnet.org or annh@chasque.apc.org

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SOUTH AMERICA

- Brazil: accusation of biopiracy

According to a decision of the Federal Public Ministry and the Court of Justice of Acre State, the swiss NGO Selva Viva is up to be expelled from the Brazilian territory. CIMI and the Union of Indigenous Nations of Acre (Uniao das Nacoes Indigenas do Acre) had denounced Selva Viva in the courts for suspected activities of biopiracy, because of its activities of cataloguing roots, barks and seeds for international laboratories (Ciba-Geigy, Hoechst, Sandoz, Lilly and Johnson & Johnson. Acre is the first Brazilian State that approved a law to protect biodiversity. In case the expulsion takes place, it would be the first effective judicial action against biopiracy in Brazil.

Source: CIMI, 7/8/97.

- Venezuela: Alert on Imataca Reserve

The controversy over Presidential Decree Nr. 1850 that opened Imataca Reserve to mining and logging companies continues. As informed in the second issue of our Bulletin (10.01.97), the Venezuelan Government approved in record time a management plan for Imataca, beneficial to the powerful international mining and logging lobby. Since then, signs of disagreement have increased all over the country at the academic, political and social levels. Prof. Centeno -from the Universidad de los Andes, Merida- has stated that such decree not only violates several previous norms at the national level -e.g. the organic law on Territorial Ordinance, the organic law on the Environment, the Forestry Law and presidential Decree Nr 2214- but also several international commitments as the Washington Convention of 1941 on the protection of flora, fauna and scenic beauties and the Convention on Biological Diversity subscribed in 1992. On June 14^th, the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences of the Universidad de los Andes requested the President to revoke the Decree. Two days before, a Congressional Commision on the Environment severely questioned the Decree and warned that the case could be brought to the Supreme Court. Chiefs and delegates from several indigenous communities of Bolivar State presented on July 1st a document to Congress rejecting the President’s decision. Other social organizations expressed their aim to take legal procedures against the Decree and finally on August 2nd the Supreme Court admitted a request for annulment of the Decree presented by FORJA (Federation of Environmental Organizations) and the College of Sociologists and Anthropologists of Venezuela. A second recourse with the same objective, presented by the Commision on the Environment of the Chamber of Deputies was accepted some days later. AMIGRANSA -a member of FORJA and WRM affiliate- warns about the danger that the opening of Imataca to private interests could be followed by similar measures applied to other areas of the rich tropical Venezuelan ecosystems.

Sources: Julio Cesar Centeno (10.08.97) and AMIGRANSA (21.08.97)

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