No need a UN report to know how awful our government is. “In the name of economic growth,” is the popular mantra of the Indonesian regimes since Soeharto, including Yudhoyono to justify deforestation. Indonesian forest were cut down as a supply for logging industries worldwide and multinational pulp companies. However the most brutal forest clearing are done by palm oil industry.

Since Yudhoyono took the office in 2004, he haven’t done any major measurement to protect Indonesian forest from further destruction. But wait, “you must have something that regulate and protect your forest,” a Kiwi friend ask me the question. Yes we do, err.. I guess. I am not really sure that we had a strong policy to control our forest. But I am sure Indonesia has two things that impede strong action to stop deforestation. First, the lack of law enforcement, and second, the corruption that eroding our government official’s mentality. Unless we address those two evil things, any policy measure, even the strongest one, will produce less significant effect on the ground.

Back to the UN report, a conclusion of the report say that Indonesia is scored 2.33 out of 5 points. That also means Indonesia is one of the fastest deforestation rate countries in the world. A strong statesmanship is needed. A man (or woman of course) that posses environmental-friendly vision, firm action and clear direction. Let’s see who will take in charge in 2015 and start to hope this person will make our dream come true.. to stop the deforestation

Picture credit to Mongabay.com