NEWS ITEM
Riau Fires
Indonesia has accepted international praise for its
deforestation legislation but has failed to invest in its enforcement, two top
environmental groups said on Friday as fires continued to burn through
protected peatlands in Sumatra.
The Ministry of Forestry lacks
the resources to police the million of hectares of forest protected under
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's acclaimed deforestation moratorium,
Greenpeace Indonesia said. Fires in Riau province have burned for nearly a week,
blanketing portions of Sumatra, Malaysia and Singapore in a thick cloud of
smog.
More than 140 hotspots have been observed in
satellite images across Sumatra and Kalimantan since the start of the week.
Environmental activists and the ministry disagree over the number of hotspots
burning in protected forests. Environmental groups estimated that number was
close to 70. The ministry said fires were reported in only "five or
six" protected forests.
"It’s nowhere near 50 percent," said
ministry spokesman Sumarto.
Greenpeace Indonesia said the government has done
little to invest in programs to curb slash-and-burn clearing or enforce forest
protections. Without national investment in the policing of Indonesia's
protected forests, national regulations on land clearing amount to little more
than smoke and mirrors, said Yuyun Indrani, a Greenpeace Indonesia forest
campaigner.
"It is a lack of human resources," Yuyun
told the Jakarta Globe. "It would be ridiculous to keep saying it's a lack
of human resources; we've had these fires for years. We think that you need one
person for every 10 hectares, but it's not only that. You need helicopters and
a plane. I haven't seen the Ministry of Forestry invest in any of this."
While the Indonesian government has attempted to
curb the use of slash-and-burn clearing, a lack of enforcement and coordination
at local levels has left regulations toothless.
"To reduce significant amounts of land burned,
we need high political commitment followed by political will from central down
to local government," said Anwar Purwoto, a World Wildlife Fund Indonesia
forestry campaigner.
The ministry admitted the manpower shortfall, but
denied allegations that it was not investing in protecting Indonesia's forests.
The ministry employs some 12,000 forest rangers, about half of what it would
need to adequately police 130 million hectares of land, Sumarto said.
"Every year we've asked for more forest
rangers," Sumarto said, adding that the ministry had sought the help of
local governments in recruitment efforts. "Community participation is
important. We'll train them, embrace them and organize communal activities
involving people living around forests, because these are communal
forests."
The ministry now relies on a large force of local
landowners, called the "Manggala Agni" troops, to enforce
deforestation regulations, Sumarto said.
"We partner with people living around
forests... including Riau and West Kalimantan," he said. "Now local
communities that we’ve trained are working in the field. Every day I receive
reports about hotspots. They’ve gone there, extinguishing the fires."
Report Text
Muara Takus
Temple
Muara Takus
Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Riau, Indonesia. This temple complex is located in
the village of precisely Barelang, District XIII Koto Kampar Regency or the
distance is approximately 135 kilometers from the city of Pekanbaru, Riau. The distance between this temple complex in the
village center Barelang approximately 2.5 miles and not far from the edge of
the Kampar River Right.
This temple
complex surrounded by a wall measuring 74 x 74 meters outside the walls there
are also arealnya sized ground 1.5 x 1.5 kilometers surrounding this complex
sampal to Kampar Kanan river.
Within this
complex there are also old temple buildings, temples and Mahligai Youngest
Stupa and Palangka. Temple
building material composed of sandstone, river rock and brick. According to sources
original, bricks for this building built in the
village Pongkai, a village located on the downstream side of the temple
complex. Former mining land for the bricks until now regarded as a
highly respected residents. To carry bricks to the temple, done in relay from
hand to hand. This story must be true although not yet give the impression that
temple building was the work together and conducted by the crowds.
Apart from the
Old Temple, Temple Youngest, and Palangka Mahligai Stupa, in the temple complex
was also found that mound kiln is estimated as human bones. Outside the
compound there are also buildings (the former) is made of brick, which has not
been established types of buildings.
Discussion Text
Siak (Jawi: سياق), is a regency (kabupaten) of Riau Province, on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of
8,216.06 km² and population of 377,232 at the 2010 Census. The northern
part of this regency is covered by the Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve.
Previously the area was part of the Sultanate of Siak Sri
Indrapura. At the beginning of the independence of Indonesia, Sultan
Syarif Kasim II, the Sultan of Siak was the last state to join the kingdom of
the Republic of Indonesia. Later this region into an area under the Siak
Kewedanan Bengkalis which later changed its status to the District Siak. In
1999 under Law No. 53 of 1999, increased its status to its capital Siak Siak
Sri Indrapura.
Transportation
Air
Go to Pekanbaru, from Siak can through the river
from Siak Siak Sri Indrapura Port, there is usually a boat that operates every
4-5 times a week with a travel time of about 2–4 hours. in addition to
pekanbaru, this port also has other destination like Bengkalis, Selat Panjang, and Batam (via Buton Bengkalis).
Land
Other than the path of the river, Siak can also be
passed through the road, From Pekanbaru about 3–4 hours journey. In
addition Siak has a bridge that connects the Siak with its capital which is
named Tengku Agung Sultana Latifah one of the names of the sultanate siak. This
bridge was inaugurated on 11 August 2007 and was crowned as the grandest bridge
until 2010, after the longest bridge Suramadu Bridge in
Surabaya finished construction.
Tourism
A Sultan of Siak circa 1900
Siak tours include Siak Sri Indrapura Palace, is a
historic palace for the Sultanate of Siak. The palace is very famous, so many
tourists who visit to see the grandeur of the palace and Goodies kingdom like
golden chair belonging to the sultan, the royal dining chairs and other
historical objects. This palace is opened from 10 am to 4 pm.
The regency is divided into 13 districts (kecamatan). The
seat of the regency is located at Siak Sri Indrapura.
