Indonesia's (illegal) buzz

  • 13/12/2001

  • International Herald Tribune (Bangkok)

Indonesia's timber industry is booming, good news for a country suffering widespread unemployment and mired in economic stagnation. There is a dark side, however: Nearly all the sawmills operate without a license, and overall, according to government, figures, 80 percent of Indonesia's timber trade is illegal, which means that the trees are felled without a license or under a concession that had been secured with a bribe.