Cali, Colombia – October 31, 2024 – A new documentary film, “17 Sweet Letters” or “17 Surat Cinta”, invites viewers to explore another side of environmental protection in Indonesia and questions the efficiency of conservation area designation in protecting ecosystems and biodiversity from the threat of deforestation. The film’s premiere took place on Thursday, October 31, 2024, in Cali, Colombia, which is hosting the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16 to the Convention on Biological Diversity). The documentary was produced by the New Indonesia Expedition in collaboration with various environmental organizations such as Auriga Nusantara, Forest Watch Indonesia, the HAkA Foundation, Greenpeace Indonesia, and Pusaka Bentala Rakyat.
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17 Love Letters tells the true story of the struggle of civil society, which has sent 17 letters and reports to the relevant authorities, particularly the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, reporting on the ongoing illegal deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve (SM) in Aceh. This area is a peat forest that forms part of the Leuser Ecosystem Area and is the only ecosystem inhabited by the megafauna of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis), tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii).

Although wildlife reserves are classified as the most protected areas, in reality, forest destruction activities in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve continue to occur. The film also highlights major issues occurring in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Sanctuary, such as the expansion of illegal oil palm plantations to supply various large companies. Farwiza Farhan, Director of the HAkA Foundation, expressed her concerns about these illegal activities, which reflect the weak enforcement of laws in an area considered “sacred” for ecosystem conservation and biodiversity. “If this destruction continues unchecked, we will not only lose critical ecosystems but also threaten the sustainability of local communities that depend on this forest,” said Farwiza Farhan, Director of the HAkA Foundation.

The tragedy of deforestation in SM Rawa Singkil reinforces the findings of the National History Museum regarding the increasing decline in the integrity of conservation areas (biodiversity intactness) around the world. Numerous pieces of evidence have shown that government management of conservation areas does not necessarily benefit biodiversity. Therefore, the Indonesian government needs to encourage and recognize areas that have been conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities, which have long proven to be more efficient in conserving biodiversity.

“The case raised in this film is not only about forest destruction, but also the neglect of indigenous peoples’ rights and damage to important ecosystems. 17 Love Letters serves as a reminder to us all that promises to protect forests must be realized through concrete actions, not just slogans,” said Mufti Barri from Forest Watch Indonesia.

This can be seen in Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau. Auriga Nusantara’s analysis shows that 59,603 hectares, or 73% of the area, has been deforested in this area since it was designated a national park in 2004. Similarly, in SM Dangku, South Sumatra, only 23% of the 48,009-hectare area remains as natural forest.

In the past two years, deforestation in Indonesia has increased again, including in conservation areas, which in 2023 alone reached 12,612 hectares. This increase in the rate of deforestation is largely due to the continued issuance of conversion permits for the expansion of industrial timber plantations in Kalimantan and national strategic projects, such as the 2 million hectare food and energy estate project in South Papua.

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“This film exposes how forest destruction occurs systematically, even in areas that should be protected by law. This is a call for the Indonesian government to truly stop deforestation and protect conservation areas,” said Arie Rompas, Forest Campaigner Team Leader at Greenpeace. He also emphasized how the film 17 Surat Cinta is intended to demand seriousness from all parties to stop deforestation in Indonesia, especially within conservation areas.

Timer Manurung, Chairman of Auriga Nusantara, expressed his regret over the ongoing deforestation in conservation areas, considering that conservation areas not only have specific management units such as National Park Offices and Natural Resource Conservation Offices, but are also protected by specific laws with a set of implementing regulations. “If deforestation is allowed to occur freely even in conservation areas, the fate of natural forests and biodiversity in other forest areas becomes a major concern. After all, 72.6 million hectares (81%) of Indonesia’s natural forests are located outside conservation areas,” concluded Timer Manurung.

Contact person:

Ekspedisi Indonesia Baru: +62 821 3927 3767

HAkA Foundation: [email protected]