POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has reiterated that the vast majority of palm oil plantations under dispute inside state forest areas were there before President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office in late October 2014.
"Clear, legal evidence exists to show that most of the disputed palm oil plantations inside state forest areas are not a legacy of President Jokowi's administration," Minister Nurbaya asserted at an event marking the honorary professorship bestowed upon her by Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java (Jun 25).
“We really need to keep reemphasizing this as we all know well that the lion's share of the palm oil plantations inside state forest did not come from this current administration," she emphasized.
According to the minister, the legal chronology of palm oil plantations within state forest areas, as well as their lawful resolution, is clear. She confirmed that it was the previous administration which started dealing with these cases, but even today some of the major ones remain legally unresolved.
Minister Nurbaya said she has repeatedly stressed that the handling and resolution of disputes over palm oil plantations in state forest areas must refer to the relevant time-series datasets.
“High-resolution time-series based satellite imagery plainly shows when most of the palm oil plantations inside the state forest areas were developed, wholly disproving the notion that the biggest slice took place during President Jokowi’s administration period," she added.
Ongoing progress
Minister Nurbaya underlined that during the Jokowi administration, specifically since its early months in 2015, legally-based handling and resolution of disputes related to palm oil plantations within state forest areas had been carried out, continuing the fledgling efforts of the previous administration.
"Of the at least 42 disputed cases related to palm oil plantations in state forest areas that have been legally resolved, almost all of this happened during President Jokowi’s administration, with a small portion completed by the previous administration," she reaffirmed.
“However, considering that substantial areas involved are still legally unresolved, a legacy handed down from the previous administration, sustained and ongoing efforts are still required,” the minister cautioned, citing social forestry and agrarian reforms as among the legal mechanisms to expedite the resolution of certain cases.
"There are no shortcuts to resolve disputed palm oil plantations in state forest areas given that this has been going on for so long, the bulk of it far preceding President Jokowi taking office," she explained.
“Nonetheless, most of the legally resolved cases to date have occurred under President Jokowi’s tenure, and we will continue to make great progress in this respect,” she added.
Minister Nurbaya concluded by urging all relevant stakeholders to “gain a better understanding of the chronology and legal evidence, on a time-series basis, in the handling and resolution of disputed palm oil plantations inside state forest areas, as this will be beneficial both in criticizing and providing input to the current administration.”
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POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has reiterated that the vast majority of palm oil plantations under dispute inside state forest areas were there before President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office in late October 2014.
"Clear, legal evidence exists to show that most of the disputed palm oil plantations inside state forest areas are not a legacy of President Jokowi's administration," Minister Nurbaya asserted at an event marking the honorary professorship bestowed upon her by Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java (Jun 25).
“We really need to keep reemphasizing this as we all know well that the lion's share of the palm oil plantations inside state forest did not come from this current administration," she emphasized.
According to the minister, the legal chronology of palm oil plantations within state forest areas, as well as their lawful resolution, is clear. She confirmed that it was the previous administration which started dealing with these cases, but even today some of the major ones remain legally unresolved.
Minister Nurbaya said she has repeatedly stressed that the handling and resolution of disputes over palm oil plantations in state forest areas must refer to the relevant time-series datasets.
“High-resolution time-series based satellite imagery plainly shows when most of the palm oil plantations inside the state forest areas were developed, wholly disproving the notion that the biggest slice took place during President Jokowi’s administration period," she added.
Ongoing progress
Minister Nurbaya underlined that during the Jokowi administration, specifically since its early months in 2015, legally-based handling and resolution of disputes related to palm oil plantations within state forest areas had been carried out, continuing the fledgling efforts of the previous administration.
"Of the at least 42 disputed cases related to palm oil plantations in state forest areas that have been legally resolved, almost all of this happened during President Jokowi’s administration, with a small portion completed by the previous administration," she reaffirmed.
“However, considering that substantial areas involved are still legally unresolved, a legacy handed down from the previous administration, sustained and ongoing efforts are still required,” the minister cautioned, citing social forestry and agrarian reforms as among the legal mechanisms to expedite the resolution of certain cases.
"There are no shortcuts to resolve disputed palm oil plantations in state forest areas given that this has been going on for so long, the bulk of it far preceding President Jokowi taking office," she explained.
“Nonetheless, most of the legally resolved cases to date have occurred under President Jokowi’s tenure, and we will continue to make great progress in this respect,” she added.
Minister Nurbaya concluded by urging all relevant stakeholders to “gain a better understanding of the chronology and legal evidence, on a time-series basis, in the handling and resolution of disputed palm oil plantations inside state forest areas, as this will be beneficial both in criticizing and providing input to the current administration.”
RELATED STORIES