- Seko "the Last Paradise in the Hearth of Sulawesi"
- The Indigenous People of Knasaimos
At present, Indonesian forests are in very dangerous situation due to massive exploitation that has been happened in the past couple of years. Every year, areas as big as 3 times of island of Bali are beeing destructed.
In the other hand – different with the general situation – there are still hope, especially in the ancestral forests that are still being managed by the indegenous people. Forest for them means not only the number of standing stock, but it is related with their religion, wisdoms and many king of socio-cultural aspects.
Dayak Punan community in Malinau (Kalimantan island) depend on their forest for collecting eaglewood (gaharu), Seko people in North Luwu (Sulawesi) get benefit from non timber forest products such as resin and rattan for fullfilling their livelihood, Knasaimos tribe in South Sorong (Papua) consider the forests as their own mother.
Initiative to defend the forest, are facing huge challenges. The indigenous people still worry if their forest will be converted into large scale plantation, forest concession or mining exploitation.
The poem (originally in Indonesian) by Rizaldi Siagian (musical) and A. Slamet Widodo (teks) and dedicated to Earth Day 2008.
Hutanku Meratap (My Forest Tears)
Dahulu disini
orang hutan bermain riang
makan buah dan pucuk pohonan
meloncat dari dahan ke dahan
Dahulu disini
hutan Meranti, Ulin, dan Kamper
gagah rimbun berdiri angker
anggrek hutan mekar dan layu
mengikuti gerak irama alam
Dahulu disini
orang Dayak dengan sumpit
berburu rusa untuk disantap
oo … ada buah dan ikan berlimpah
daun menyembuhkan penyakit
Oo … dahulu disni
matahari bersinar riang
sinarnya jatuh ke hutan rimbun
chlorofil merubah CO2 jadi O2
udara pun jadi jernih dan segar
Sekarang ini … sekarang disini
tak ada lagi hutan apalagi rimba
tak ada orang Dayak dan budayanya
tak ada orang hutan kecuali ceritra
yang ada tinggal sampah sejarah
Sekarang disini
jutaan hektar tanah gersang
tinggal sisa-sisa akar pohonan
dan lobang besar genangan air asam
Sekarang disini
matahari bersinar merah
menyaksikan penguasa, pengusaha, dan cukong asing
kolusi membabat hutan seenaknya
yang ditanam dan dipelihara ribuan tahun
ditinggal setelah diambil batubaranya
Oi … orang kampung … orang kampung
Sekarang disini
alam ganas mengirim banjir
beribu orang tak berdosa
hilang harta hilang nyawa
yang dosa aman main golf dengan wanita selingkuhnya
Oh …..
akan kau saksikan pulau-pulau amblas
gurun-gurun pun meluas
Here at one time
orangutans played joyfully
eating fruits and leaves of the trees
swinging between the branches
generation upon generation for thousands of years
Here at one time
the Meranti, Ulin, and Kamper trees
stood sacredly in great forests
wild orchids bloomed and faded
in-synch with the rhythms of the universe
Here at one time
the Dayak with their blowpipes
hunted deer for their dinner
oo… the plentiful fruit and fish
abundant healing leaves
Here at one time
the sun shone brightly
pouring its light on the dense rain forest
chlorophyll turned CO2 to O2
creating fresh, clean air
Nowadays
no rain forest remain
gone are the Dayak and their culture
gone are the orangutans, only a sad story
with its historical garbage is left behind
Nowadays
millions of hectares of dry barren land
the dried roots of the trees remain
and huge holes of acid run-off water
left behind after the coal was sucked dry
Nowadays
the red sun shines
watching officials, businessmen,
and foreign investors greedily cut down the trees
planted and nurtured over thousands of years
Oh, my people … my people
nowadays …
angry Mother Earth sends floods
thousands of innocents lose belongings and lives
while the sinners play golf with their mistresses
Aach … my forest laments
its eyes are swollen
its mouth gasps for breath
Oh ….
you will see when the islands are drowning
the deserts expanding
disasters grow more violent … disasters grow more violent
