Commission IV Of The DPR Urges The Ministry Of Transportation To Involve The National Police In Handling Illegal Mines On Mount Merapi

Chairman of Commission IV DPR RI Titiek Soeharto accompanied by Member of Commission IV DPR Rajiv together with National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo (doc the Indonesian House of Representatives)

JAKARTA - Commission IV of the DPR RI highlighted the serious disclosure of illegal sand mining cases that damaged the Gunung Merapi National Park (TNGM) area, Magelang, Central Java and cost the state up to IDR 3 trillion. Commission IV asked the Ministry of Forestry to cooperate with the National Police in protecting Indonesian forest areas, especially national parks.

Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rajiv, appreciated the police's alertness in uncovering illegal mining perpetrators. On the other hand, he is concerned about the incident of destroying the national park that occurred in sight and has even been going on for quite a long time.

"I appreciate the fast movement of the police who succeeded in uncovering illegal mining in the Gunung Merapi National Park area, which took a long time and damaged the forest ecosystem," Rajiv told reporters, Monday, November 10.

Rajiv said the addition of the national park area could not be allowed to drag on. Because according to him, there have been many forests and national parks in Indonesia destroyed due to the lack of speed in law enforcement by the Ministry of Transportation.

"Today's main problem is no longer just the absence of rules, but the lack of alertness and weak power of law enforcement by the Ministry of Forestry in the field," said the NasDem politician.

Therefore, Rajiv emphasized that there is no reason for the Ministry of Transportation, especially the Directorate General of Law and Human Rights to immediately handle this issue partially and sporadically so that it must involve the Police in all aspects of law enforcement.

"In this condition of a crime scale, the Directorate General of Gakkum LHK has proven unable to work alone. The police, especially Bareskrim, must be involved and become an integral, systematic part, in handling cases of illegal forest and mining additions in forest areas and national parks," said Rajiv.

Rajiv assessed that if the Directorate General of Gakkum had difficulty balancing the speed and scale of the damage that had occurred, the involvement of the Police would make the eradication of illegal mines and forest additions take place quickly and effectively.

The number of hundreds of illegal mining cases that have been handled by Bareskrim and the Regional Police shows that the National Police has law enforcement infrastructure which can actually be a multiplier force for the Ministry of Transportation," explained the legislator from the West Java II electoral district.

Rajiv also encouraged the Ministry of Transportation to update data and set a target for forest recovery as soon as possible and strengthen the Directorate General of Law and Human Rights.

"I hope that the Ministry of Transportation will immediately update the data and open a national map of illegal forest and mining additions in protected forest areas and national parks for the 2020-2025 period, set measurable recovery targets, and strengthen the mandate and resources of the Directorate General of Law and Human Rights," he said.

Rajiv emphasized that the protected forest and national park are the nation's ecological heritage. According to him, allowing illegal additions and mines to continue in it is tantamount to pawning the future of future generations.

"Commission IV of the DPR RI will use all its supervisory functions to ensure that the state does not neglect and law enforcement is truly in favor of the preservation of the Indonesian forest", concluded Rajiv.