Pruning A Tree He Bought And Planted Himself, This Man Was Fined Rp310 Million

JAKARTA - A man was surprised because he was sentenced to a fine of Rp310,649,200 for trimming a tree. And, the tree is his tree that he bought and planted himself.

This story is experienced by a man surnamed Li, 73, in Shanghai, China when he employs a worker to trim a camphor laurel tree, a tree he bought two decades ago that he later planted in the residential community where he lives.

He was told by authorities that he had violated reforestation regulations by cutting trees without obtaining government approval and the cuts were too drastic, CCTV reported on Sunday.

"I don't understand this severe punishment. I don't want to cut it down at all. This is a tree I bought and I have no motivation [to cut it down]. I like trees, so I bought this tree," Li said in the report, citing Korea. Times from SCMP, Wednesday 25 August.

"My intention is to cut it shorter. Therefore I won't have to fix it in the next few years," he continued.

Li, a retired high school teacher, bought the tree seedlings in 2002. Initially, he planted them in the yard of his villa on the outskirts of Songjiang District, China.

He then moved the tree to a public area near his estate 10 years ago, because its branches and leaves were blocking the house's windows, as the tree grew.

Moreover, the tree continued to grow and its widely spread branches and leaves were so lush that it blocked the flowers that Li planted nearby from receiving sunlight. Li said this forced him to decide to prune the tree.

Officials said that even though the tree was two meters tall and still alive, Li's actions were seen as 'cutting', not 'pruning'. That's because trees at their current height can't continue their canopy shape in the growth cycle, they said.

According to the 2006 Shanghai greenery management regulations, this camphor tree, which measures nearly 40cm in diameter, is worth 28,840 yuan, or about 4,443 US dollars. Offenders who cut down this type of tree will be fined five times their value.

Li said he had paid 144,200 yuan ($21,500) and with Rp310,649,200 as compensation. However, he still feels guilty in this case.

"I love flowers and trees. I love nature. However, I was finally punished for destroying the tree. I felt very wronged and I was also helpless," he said in the TV program.

In fact, before pruning the tree Li admitted that he had called the authorities to check if he had to go through the application procedure. However, officials told him they do not handle applications from individuals.

It is unclear whether Li's case is the highest fine of its kind in Shanghai. However, this is the first case to receive widespread attention in the past decade.

"Which brings more damage? Cutting trees yourself or harshly punishing people without considering their specific situation?" Bai Yansong, the news anchor at CCTV, asked during the event.

"Perhaps the various parties involved in this incident should provide a better explanation as this is a case of good city administration," Bai said.

Li's experience has been viewed 130 million times on Weibo since its release on social media a week ago. Around 10,000 comments have been left on the website.

"The punishment is too serious. I can only accept a fine of hundreds of yuan," wrote one person.

"Can the government give a verbal reprimand for a violation for the first time? After all, not everyone knows the regulations," another commented.