Greenpeace Levels Illegal Logging Accusations In China, PNG

[hatrack]

BEIJING, China, November 18, 2004 (ENS) - Greenpeace is mounting a concerted campaign to stop illegal logging in Asia. The environment group held a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday to expose Asia Pulp & Paper's destruction of the forests in China's Yunnan province. And activists were arrested in Brisbane, Australia earlier this week for protesting illegal logging in Papua New Guinea. Greenpeace filed an official report to China's State Administration of Forestry about the illegalities involved in the Yunnan logging situation, and urged the Chinese government to punish the responsible parties.

In 2002, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) signed a memo of understanding with the Yunnan provincial government for its eucalyptus forest, pulp and paper integration project. Within the year, APP enclosed a forest of 183,330 hectares in southern Yunnan province, and began logging in the region. Confirmation comes from government reports, including an investigation report from the State Administration of Forestry in which the project is pronounced as problematic. With no felling permit or other required approvals, APP contines to log the natural forest illegally, as Greenpeace has documented in two field researches in June and September. Liu Bing, forest campaigner with Greenpace China, said, "Yunnan is a world biodiversity hotspot. The project in question will wreak havoc on the local biodiversity, which will trigger a chain reaction in the neighboring areas, thus causing irreversible ecological disaster to the whole region."

EDIT

The Brisbane company is owned by Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau, which was the subject of a November 3 SBS Dateline program that focused on practices which abuse the human rights of indigenous landowners. John Danaiye, a PNG clan leader and spokesperson for Musula and Iwatubu village clans, is taking Rimbunan Hijau to court claiming they have illegally logged his tribal land.

He is in Brisbane to ask Australians to help save the forest of PNG. “Logging by Rimbunan Hijau has destroyed large parts of our traditional forests," said Danaiye. "They have ruined our rivers, hunting grounds and sacred sites. We get beaten and abused when we try to stand up for our rights.” Reports commissioned by the PNG government, the World Bank and nongovernmental organizations have documented the illegalities, environmental destruction, human rights abuses and corruption in the PNG forestry industry. “I am here to let the Australian people know what’s happening to my forest home, so that they know not to use disputed PNG timber in building their homes, said the PNG clan leader. "And to urge the Australian government to take action to stop stolen or illegal timber from entering Australian ports.”

EDIT

No link, subscription service`