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--------- Forwarded Message ---------
DATE: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 09:18:24
From: "Riza V. Tjahjadi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear all,
FYI
Annulment of decree on transgenic
products sought
JAKARTA (JP): Several non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) are preparing to
file a suit
at the State Administrative Court in a
bid to annul
a ministerial decree which has opened
the door
for the use of transgenic crops.
The suit is expected to be filed by the
first week of
May at the latest, as the law states
that a suit
must be submitted to the court within
90 days
after the issuance of the decree.
Ministry of Agriculture Decree No.
107/2001 was
issued on Feb. 6.
Mas Achmad Santosa, executive director
of the
Indonesian Center for Environmental Law
(ICEL)
said several NGOs were working together
to
consolidate their efforts in this
endeavor.
The other NGOs include the National
Consortium
for Nature and Forest Conservation
(Konphalindo), the Indonesia Pesticide
Action
Network (PAN Indonesia), the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and South
Sulawesi Consumers Foundation (YLK
Sulawesi
Selatan).
The decree permits limited release of
transgenic
cotton Bt DP 5690B as a quality crop
genus under
the name of NuCOTN 35B or Bolgard in
seven
regencies in South Sulawesi -- Takalar,
Gowa,
Bantaeng, Bulukumba, Bone, Soppeng and
Wajo.
The NGOs maintain that the decree was
hastily
issued and careless, neglecting the
still-controversial consequences of the
use of
transgenic products.
"It is also against the precautionary
principle,
which is paramount and a main
prerequisite in
handling such products," Tejo Wahyu
Jatmiko of
Konphalindo told journalists on
Thursday.
"If such products are safe, then where
is the
report? We can't access it although we
have
asked for the report. The decree also
states that
there have been tests in seven
regencies, while
reports only mention two regencies," he
added.
"The government is not being
transparent."
The Bt cotton plantations in South
Sulawesi have
been developed under the guidance of PT
Monagro Kimia, a subsidiary of the St.
Louis-based Monsanto Company.
The plantations in Bantaeng and
Bulukumba
regencies, which are 500 hectares in
total, are
now ripe for harvesting. The products
have been
exported and some have been distributed
to local
markets.
The area planted in the other five
regencies is not
known.
"If it was only a test crop it should
have been
burnt, not sold," Tejo said.
Mas Achmad Santosa further argued that
the
decree is ambivalent since it claims to
be based
on existing environmental laws, but at
the same
time also violates them.
"Law No. 23/1997 about Environmental
Management for instance, which
stipulates
people's rights to get information and
to be
involved in decision making, is
violated," he said.
The obligation to conduct an
Environmental
Impact Assessment (AMDAL) as stipulated
by law
has also been violated because such an
assessment has not yet been done, he
added.
"Not to mention other laws and farmers'
rights that
have also been violated," Achmad
charged.
While it prepares the suit, the NGOs
also pledged
to continue pressuring the Minister of
Agriculture
Bungaran Saragih to revoke the decree.
Transgenic technology is a way of
creating higher
quality crops and stocks by inserting
genes,
sometimes from other species to protect
the plant
from pests or to resist a specific
herbicide.
Despite assurances from scientists that
the
products are harmless, some doubts have
been
raised as to the safety of genetically
modified
foodstuffs and their effect on health
and the
environment.
Separately on Friday, researcher from
Bogor
Agricultural Institute and Southeast
Asia Regional
Center for Tropical Biology, Antonius
Suwanto
said that regulations on transgenic
products
should not be based on popular whim.
He referred to State Minister for
Environment
Sonny Keraf's statement recently that
the Minister
of Agriculture decree was issued in
response to
demands from the regencies' residents,
despite
Sonny himself objecting to it.
"Don't issue a decree just because a
region
asked for it. It should be based on
scientific
studies," Antonius asserted.
It is natural that there should be pros
and cons
over such products, he added, and the
precautionary principle is also
important.
Nevertheless he further urged not to be
too stern
in maintaining the precautionary
principle " as it
will become counterproductive."
"The important thing is, our country
needs to
master biotechnology in order to manage
our
biodiversity, one of the richest in the
world,"
Antonius cited.
He further warned that if Indonesia
fails to
anticipate the development of
technology, it will
only end up being consumers of it, and
not
pioneers, such as the case in
micro-electronic
and computer technology.(hdn)
the Jakarta Post, 24 Feb.2001
+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;+;
Riza VT
PAN Indonesia
Jl. Persada Raya No.1
Menteng Dalam
Jakarta 12870
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