International Campaign supports Governor Aceh World Heritage Nomination and asks him to avoid being trapped into ‘illegal’ regulation allowing the destruction of world renowned Leuser Ecosystem
Aceh’s Governor is under pressure to sign a new regulation contravening Aceh Governance Law No 11 / 2006, that was mandated under the Aceh Helsinki Peace Accord, provoking international scientists, environmentalists and community representatives to launch campaign urging against illegal destruction of the Leuser Ecosystem.
11 December 2013 - Jakarta- Paragraph 150 of Aceh Governance Law No 11 2006, which was mandated in the Helsinki Peace Agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Aceh Seperatist movement states very clearly that “National Government, Provincial Government and District and Municipal Governments are forbidden to issue destructive business permits within the Leuser Ecosystem.” Nevertheless, right now Aceh’s Governor is being pushed to sign a new Governor’s Regulation regarding issuance of cultivation permits within the Leuser Ecosystem, opening up the possibility of new permits being granted and legalisation of current illegal activities within the Ecosystem.
Rogue Palm Oil Company, Fearing Negative Ruling, Initiates Conflict with Indonesian Court
15 November 2013 - MEDAN, NORTH SUMATRA. A large demonstration initiated by controversial palm oil company Pt Kalista Alam, who is accused of illegally destroying some of the world’s most important remaining orangutan habitat on the west coast of Sumatra, has disrupted the Meulaboh district court today where the Indonesian Ministry of Environment is prosecuting the company for environmental crimes. The potentially precedent-setting case has received international attention and is being monitored closely by NGOs, scientists, the government and industry alike.
Orangutan Caring Week – 10-16 November 2013
November 6, 2013 - Santa Monica, CA - Orangutans, the only great ape naturally found in the forests of Southeast Asia, face an uncertain future. Their rain forest home on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra continues to be destroyed as vast agricultural estates replace millions of hectares of bio-diverse jungle each year. As a consequence orangutans on Borneo are considered endangered and those on Sumatra are critically endangered according to the IUCN’s Redbook.
In 2005, Orangutan Caring Week was established by the non-profit Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) to draw attention to the species and its plight as well as to provide people an opportunity to take action and to care about the future of orangutans. It also gives orangutan, conservation, and zoological organizations opportunities to discuss their programs with the media and at schools and other institutions. The theme for OCW varies from year to year. This year the theme is “Unite to Fight the Extinction of the Orangutan”. The theme drives home the need for organizations and people to get together, put down their differences, and to coalesce into a unified voice on behalf of the species, which is still on the brink of extinction.
Greenpeace: APP Making 'Encouraging' Progress On Zero Deforestation Commitment
29 October 2013 - Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com - Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), an Indonesian forestry giant once notorious for destroying rainforests and peatlands, is making 'encouraging' progress in phasing forest destruction out of its supply chain, reports a new assessment from Greenpeace, which until recently was one of APP's fiercest critics.
Send Pongky back home to the forest
2 September 2013 - Change.org - The Medan Zoo in Sumatra has recently acquired two new residents – two male orangutans, confiscated from the illegal pet trade by the government conservation agency (BKSDA) in Aceh province.
Both orangutans were being illegally held in captivity in Aceh. One of the animals, named Pongky, was being kept by a high-ranking police officer. The Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) attempted to rescue Pongky in July, but when the police officer refused to give him up, they were forced to go to the government for support. Instead of placing Pongky in a rehabilitation programme to one day return to the wild, BKSDA Aceh have sent him, and another orangutan, to the Medan Zoo. The orangutans have simply swapped one life behind bars for another.
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