Bogor, W Java (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Monday called on other countries not become "fences" of illegal logs from Indonesia. "Other nations should not become fences of illegal logs from Indonesia," the head of state said here on Monday at an event to mark Indonesia's Tree Planting Day and National Planting Month at Merah Putih Hill, Sentul, Citeureup, Bogor. In a teleconference dialog with an audience in East Kalimantan, the President said Indonesia was actively trying to eradicate illegal logging activity in order to protect and preserve its forests. The fight against illegal logging should be a joint effort of Indonesia and other countries because Indonesia's forests were also "the lungs of the world", he said. Other countries could help protect Indonesia's forests by among other things not accepting or buying illegally cut logs, he said. The president said Indonesia had launched a national movement to plant at least one billion trees annually in an effort to prevent natural disasters, mitigate the impact of climate change and maintain food security. The forestry ministry had earlier said the presidential tree planting ceremony on Monday was the signal for the simultaneous execution of the same activity by 8,820 people including servicemen and police officers, boy and girl scouts and students. The head of state was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono during the tree planting ceremony held inside the Indonesian Peace and Security Center complex. Yudhoyono planted a Manglid (Manglietia glauca) tree, Ani Yudhoyono a Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) tree, Boediono a Suren (Toona sureni) tree, and his spouse, Herawati Boediono, a Salam (Syzygium polyanthum) tree. Among ministers attending the event were Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa. On the occasion, the president also presented awards to provincial governors and district heads who had won a one-billion- tree planting contest in 2010, and a greening and "Wana Lestari" nature conservation competition in 2011.(*)


Editor : Chandra Hamdani Noer
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