THE POLITICS OF EXTINCTION
Executive Summary   Introduction   A Future Without Forests?   The Orangutan Crisis   The Timber Barons   Summary The History   Habitat Destruction   Plywood Pirates   FM - The Inefficiencies   FM - The Illegalities   The Paper Problem   Example: PT TEL   Example: Barito Pacific   Example: Sinar Mas   Example: APRIL   An Uncertain Future   Palm Oil	The Timber Barons - Summary Indonesia's forests directly support an estimated 60 million Indonesians. Extremely poor implementation and enforcement of legislation has resulted in the massive over-exploitation of natural forests. Extensive loss of orangutan habitat and forest biodiversity has occurred. Wealth derived from timber, wood, paper and pulp industries has been concentrated in the hands of very few individuals and companies. Local communities and indigenous people have received little benefit and have frequently suffered due to Government forest policies. Indonesia's forests constitute the world's second largest area of tropical forest, supporting an estimated 60 million people and a vast array of plant, animal and insect life. However, the past three decades have witnessed the unsustainable exploitation of this precious resource by Indonesia's "timber mafia". There now exists overwhelming evidence that the timber, wood, pulp and paper industries are having a massive negative impact on the country's environmental, social and economic health and security.
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