Indonesia's (illegal) buzz
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13/12/2001
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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.