Paradise forest - Indonesia

From Harrie:

There were rumours going around that a Sumatran tiger had been spotted near the camp. Little did they know that soon they would have to deal with a greater disturbance. Representatives of the Dutch office were to visit the camp, accompanied by a world famous Dutch actor (OK, world famous in Holland at least). An initiative to create as much media attention as possible back home, which is very necessary as Holland is Europe’s largest importer of palm oil. And yet, the story of what is going on here is completely unknown to the Dutch public.

That is why the Dutch office recently started a campaign to confront the Dutch people with the fact that 60% of the products that we buy in the supermarket may contain palmoil. This means that the forests in Indonesia are burning for our groceries. Over the past 10 years our little country alone has been responsible for the disappearance of 1.5 million hectare of forest worldwide.

So, lots of work to do for Cees and the rest of the team. You know how they always say that holidaying Americans try to do Europe in a day? We tried to film the whole of Sumatra in just three. Starting of course with the camp and the recently burned forest surrounding it. Sad and angry I felt when I stood up to my anckles in fresh ashes. How is it possible that my country is involved in this?

The next day we wanted to film intact rainforest, so we can show the folks back home what the forests of Indonesia are supposed to look like. It took us six hours to get there. That is how much rainforest is already gone. It was only exactly at the spot with a sign saying ‘You are now entering Bukit Tigapuluh National Park’ that the rainforest began. That is why many of the locals would like to see that all the forest of Sumatra that is left, become a National Park. In their eyes that is the only way that the forests get some sort of legal status and the protection that comes with that.

For now, the land of the locals is illegally taken from them and it is heartbreaking to hear their stories. Cees, and he is a big fellow, was moved by this and the depressing sight of the surroundings of the camp. He probably did not expect to be living in an ashtray for a couple of days, but he is going home with a story that needs to be told. It is good to see that it is being picked up by the Dutch media. Then 78 musquito bites seem a very small price to pay.

Harrie(t)
Forest Campaign Communication Officer
Greenpeace Netherlands

[ Image: Palm plantation and forest in Kuala Cenaku area, Riau Province, Sumatra Indonesia. © C. Anderson ]