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(转)Vast forests with trees each worth &4,000 sold for a few bags of sugarLamoko, 150 miles down the Maringa river, sits on the edge of a massive stretch of virgin rainforest in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On February 8 2005, representatives of a major timber firm arrived to negotiate a contract with the traditional landowners. Few in the village realised that the talks would transform all their lives, but in just a few hours, the chief, who had received no legal advice and did not realise that just one tree might be worth more than &4,000 in Europe , had signed away his community's rights in the forest for 25 years In return for his signed permission to log thousands of hectares for exotic woods such as Afromosia (African teak) and sapele, the company promised to build Lamoko and other communities in the area three simple village schools and pharmacies . In addition, the firm said it would give the chief 20 sacks of sugar, 200 bags of salt, some machetes and a few hoes . In all, it was estimated that the gifts would cost the company &10,000 (to be continued)

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回复: modern society scandalA copy cat here in China.I read an online news not long ago about land sold to those corrupters at a surprisingly low price of 1 CNY for 1 square meter.I got bloody furious as I read that.

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2008/08/02 - 2010/06/30 Vancouver2010/07/01 - 2012/05/31 Toronto2012/06/01---------------- Montreal 超赞 赏 yangyang2005 0$(VIP 0) 7,4062007-04-12#3 回复: modern society scandalWhat a pity!

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――――――――――――――――――06年4月递案，09年6月撤案 超赞 赏 Z zznn123456 0$(VIP 0) 8,0422007-04-12#4 回复: modern society scandal(continued)It was the kind of "social responsibility" agreement that is encouraged by the World Bank , but when the villagers found out that their forest had been "sold" so cheaply, they were furious. They complained to the local and central government that there had been no proper consultation, that the negotiations had been conducted in an "arrogant" manner, and that people had been forced to sign the document. They demanded that the company pull out. Since February 2005, logging roads have been driven deep into the forests near Lamoko and the company has started extracting and exporting trees, but the villages have yet to see their schools and pharmacies. ​to be continued

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回复: modern society scandalIt is no doubt that corruption and cheat is not only existed in China but also in the every corner of the world even in the so far and impoverished Congo where the western logging firms deprived the right of acknowledgement from the local residents,however it is the basic human right based on the western standard.

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回复: modern society scandal(continued)"We asked them to provide wood for our coffins and they even refused that," said one man who asked to remain anonymous. The Lamoko agreement is just one of many contracts, or concessions, that European companies have signed with tribal chiefs in the DRC as the country begins to recover from a decade of civil wars and dictatorship. But according to a Greenpeace report released today, Lamoko did better than many communities. Some contracts seen by the Guardian show only promises of sugar, salt and tools worth about $100 (£55) in return for permission to log . Others have reported that pledges made three years ago have still not been fulfilled. The report, which took two years to compile, claims that industrial logging backed by the World Bank is now out of control. "Younger people feel that elders have failed to look after the long-term interests of the community," it says.(to be continued)

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回复: modern society scandal（continued)​​Last week many community leaders told the Guardian that their villages would sink into destitution if logging went ahead. As many as 40 million of the poorest people in Africa depend on the Congolese forests and all the concessions handed out by the transition government in May 2002 are in inhabited areas. More than a third are home to pygmy communities. ​"If the trees go, then we will have nothing. We will be consigned to poverty forever . The forests are our only hope. If they go, we only become poorer", said one man who lives near Kisangani. Like most people in the area, he did not want to give his name for fear of intimidation from local authorities , who are known to be mired in corruption. ​ (to be continued)

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