Apriadi Gunawan and Rizal Harahap, Medan/Pekanbaru – Choking haze from forest fires in Riau and Jambi has blanketed North Sumatra for several days and threatens to spread to neighboring

Jakarta – The government of Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, is now looking at its vast easternmost provinces in Papua to expand its palm oil plantations, a senior offi

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The government called on developed nations to buy carbon credits from Indonesia, rather than push for a moratorium on forestry activities.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – The Indonesian Environmental Forum's (Walhi) Riau branch urged the government Tuesday to revise numerous controversial industrial forest concessions issued co

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned lawmakers Wowo Ibrahim of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Syarfi Hutauruk of the Golkar Party on

Adianto P.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – The sudden reshuffle of Riau Police Chief Sutjiptadi, known for his anti-illegal logging stance, raises questions about the motives behind the replacement, an

Extract: Official complicity

Adianto P.

Gunanto E.S./Ezther Lastania, Jakarta – The government will give fiscal incentive to 20 Industrial Timber Estate (HTI) companies.

Ashleigh Wilson – Inadequate international laws are allowing an illegal timber trade worth more than $2 billion a year to flourish across the Asia-Pacific region, with 9 per cent of all

Adianto P.

Jakarta – Illegal logging is causing more than the destruction of forests – it is destroying human lives through trafficking of girls to logging camps.

Nabiha Shahab, Kuala Cenaku – Marto Wijoyo and his family left the overcrowded Indonesian island of Java 27 years ago in search of a better life on neighbouring Sumatra.

Jakarta – The international environmental activist group Greenpeace called for Jakarta to strongly support the maintenance of Papua's log export ban despite recent logging industry pres

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – The House unanimously refused on Thursday to endorse a bill that would see Indonesia ratify an ASEAN agreement to eradicate transboudary fire haze and smoke p

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Most forest and land rehabilitation programs launched by the central government have failed to reduce deforestation because locals refuse to become involved, off

Rendi Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – The "only" courageous move taken by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his 3.5 years in office was his recent policy to broadly accommodate corpor

Adianto P.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told hundreds of mining investors on Friday they would soon be able to apply to operate in productiv

Adianto P.

Dessy Nurhayati and Adianto P.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – Members of the Indonesian Forest Protection Committee and the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) rallied Thursday at Riau Police

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The government said Thursday it would not license new mining companies to operate open-pit mining systems in protected forests.

Adianto P.

Khairul Saleh, Palembang – The Palembang Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has said that tropical forests in Sumatra are under extreme threat from illegal logging.

Adianto P Simamora, Jakarta – Green activists strongly criticized the ongoing forest conversion work at Bukit Tigapuluh, saying it would speed up the loss of Sumatra's endangered specie

Neles Tebay, Abepura, Papua – Papua holds one of the largest areas of forest in the Asia Pacific region.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Despite the imposition of a moratorium on logging in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, illegal logging has been rampant, causing the state about Rp 123.7 billion (

Ary Hermawan and Stevie Emilia, Denpasar/Bali – Forest-rich countries' plan to push for incentives to conserve their forests as carbon sinks is considered crucial in the global effort t

Nurni Sulaiman, Balikpapan – At least 14 soldiers stationed at Tanjungpura military command in East Kalimantan have been convicted of involvement in illegal logging and sentenced to con

Jakarta – The government is very optimistic that its effort to present a gift to the world by planting 79 million trees next week will make a significant contribution toward curbing glo

Jakarta – Bewildering Indonesian forestry regulations and chaotic inter-departmental coordination have contributed to the government's inability to handle illegal logging cases, experts

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Environmental groups urged the government Tuesday to stop issuing concessions for mining companies at protected forests, to avoid further forest conversions.

Alfian and Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta/Medan – Forestry minister M.S.

The Jakarta Post, Pelalawan, Riau – Forestry companies are generally still reluctant to adopt sustainable management practices because most do not see the benefits for their businesses.

Hyginus Hardoyo – Farmers who are actively involved in the sustainable development of community-based forests in Wonogiri, Central Java, say they are not reaping the rewards of their ha

Adianto P.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Instead of begging rich countries for forestry projects, the government should instead increase the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police budgets t

Greenpeace has warned that Indonesia's plans to clear Papuan forests for palm oil plantations will hinder efforts to mitigate climate change.

Nurni Sulaiman, Balikpapan – Rain around the city of Banjar Baru on Friday failed to slow the spread of forest fires in South Kalimantan, as a forest reserve in East Kalimantan raised i

Zakki Hakim, Jakarta – Indonesia, which is losing its forests faster than any other country, hopes to plant 79 million trees in a single day ahead of a major UN climate change meeting t

Jakarta – The government has failed to reach its 2007 forest rehabilitation target due to financial issues and poor coordination, said a senior forestry ministry official.

Jakarta – Indonesia has proposed that eight countries home to some 80 percent of the world's tropical rainforests join diplomatic ranks amid rising climate change concerns, a senior off

Jakarta – The Indonesian government's programs to tackle deforestation are getting a much needed injection of funds, with several developed countries committing to providing financial s

Jayapura – Papua is home to 10 percent of the world's remaining Intact Forest Landscape, but 2 percent of that is at risk of forest conversion, according to an NGO.

Jakarta – Government officials, police and observers are calling for effective coordination among the police, Forestry Ministry and related departments to fight illegal logging.

Femke van den Bos, Contributor, Blandford, U.K.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The government has been urged to stop deforestation in order to protect the rapidly decreasing orangutan population on the island of Kalimantan.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has accused the government of encouraging deforestation by allowing eight industrial timber plantati