PEKANBARU (EoF News) --Riau Malay Customary-Law Community Body calls on authority not to reactivate defunct HPH selective logging concession for pulp industry and should return the forest rights use to local customary (adat) community, says its advisory board. Anwar Saleh, the advisory board member of the traditional body, reminded that his organization and the government have set a moral consensus internally in responding forest issues in Riau that recommended that defunct HPH concession should not be renewed. “Just grant the HPH concession to local communities through [local] government,” he told Riau Pos daily as quoted by saying early this month.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) --- Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is “responsible for the large-scale destruction of Indonesia’s forests” as well as has “generated a number of conflicts with various community groups in Indonesia which have yet to be settled.” Those are quotes found on Social conflict and environmental disaster: A report on Asia Pulp and Paper’s operations in Sumatra, Indonesia, compiled by Rivani Noor and Rully Syumanda.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— The Government has warned five companies granting selective logging concession (HPH) as they were judged unproductive on such forests they should work on. Director General of Forestry Production Management, Hadi Susanto Pasaribu, said Wednesday that the Ministry of Forestry would give an opportunity for the warned companies to improve their management within six months from now on. “Unless, their licenses will be revoked,” he said as quoted by Bisnis Indonesia daily as saying.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) -- An elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) was found dead where its skeletons and ivory vanished as a villager said it was poisoned by ivory poachers. The elephant’s ripen carcass was found by residents of Dusun Tasik Indah, Segati village of Pelalawan, 180 km away from Pekanbaru, last weekend. The villagers informed the provincial conservation agency (BKSDA) this week, Antara news agency reported Tuesday.