Press release - February 3, 2004
A Greenpeace report exposing the corrupt and destructive activities of the global Malaysian logging company, Rimbunan Hijau, has been published in the lead up to the summit for life on earth--the UN meeting of the Convention for Biological Diversity held in Kuala Lumpur in February.
Protest against New Zealand buyer of illegal timber. Two trees were arrested.
Rimbunan Hijau (RH) dominates the logging industry in Papua New
Guinea and has interests in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Malaysia,
Vanuatu, Indonesia, New Zealand and Russia, making it one of the
world's largest participants in forest destruction. Many of its
operations are characterised by documented illegalities and
environmental destruction. The Greenpeace report, The Untouchables:
Rimbunan Hijau's world of forest crime and political patronage',
documents allegations of RH's use of tactics such as political
corruption and abuses of indigenous peoples' rights within its
operations.
"In Papua New Guinea, for example, Rimbunan Hijau is logging
without landowner consent, in logging concessions that have not
been initiated or allocated properly under the National Forestry
Act, and in contravention of environmental law," said Stephen
Campbell of Greenpeace International.
Greenpeace is highlighting the plight of the world's last
remaining ancient forests and the depletion of the oceans in the
lead up to the Summit for Life on Earth-the UN meeting of the
Convention for Biological Diversity-to be held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia in February. Greenpeace is urging governments to protect
life in all its diversity, indigenous people's rights and cultural
variety by providing money for protection of life on land and sea.
World governments must also ban large-scale industrial activity in
all sensitive areas and establish a network of land and marine
protected areas with effective law enforcement and management.
"As hosts of the Summit for Life on Earth, the Malaysian
government should set the example by ensuring that Malaysian
companies operating internationally are held accountable for their
destructive practices in the world's remaining ancient forests,"
Campbell said. "The destruction of life on earth is happening
world-wide at an unprecedented rate. Governments need to take
urgent action to stop this ecological disaster before it is too
late."
VVPR info: The report can be downloaded from www.greenpeace.org/RHreport