Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has requested that the government immediately halt illegal logging in Southeast Aceh and Aceh Singkil which has been disguised as wood requirements for rehabilitation and reconstruction following the tsunami disaster.

"Those behind the illegal logging activities told the locals that the wood was for the reconstruction process, even though the wood was taken out of Aceh," Walhi Executive Director Chalid Muhammad told TEMPO on Tuesday (27/12).

Saying that wood is to be used for rehabilitation purposes, said Muhammad, has become the new modus operandi of those involved in acts of illegal logging.

The results of Walhi investigations between October and December have confirmed that wood was sent to Medan, Singapore and Malaysia.

During its investigations, Walhi discovered that every week, several wood containers had been sent to Aceh but it was unclear what the wood was to be used for.

In October, Walhi recorded that as much as 120 cubic meters of illegal wood were sent from Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau, and on December 15, a total of 28 cubic meters of illegal wood entered Aceh from Batang Gadis, North Sumatra.

The wood was sent to Aceh because there it is worth more, Rp1.5 million per cubic meter compared to the usual Rp900,000 paid per meter cubic.

Walhi, stated Chalid, has asked the government to immediately evaluate wood for reconstruction in Aceh and to make use of confiscated wood, or other wood which does not come from forests, to fulfill wood needs for house construction in Aceh.

(Oktamandjaya Wiguna-Tempo News Room)