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JAKARTA, Indonesia – Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s recent visit to an Indonesian national park caused a controversy – and a statement by a minister this week has not helped.
On Monday, April 4, Siti Nurbaya, Environment and Forestry minister, said it was “rather unfortunate” that DiCaprio had not obtained comprehensive information on issues such as deforestation in Indonesia.
She also emphasized that Indonesia was “working hard” to combat its environmental problems.
Her comments come after immigration officials warned last week that DiCaprio could be barred from re-entering Indonesia due to his criticism of the environmental impact of palm oil cultivation.
Nurbaya did say however that she appreciated DiCaprio’s good intentions and even hoped to cooperate with him in the future.
“I sincerely appreciate his concern to save the animals, and we can cooperate with him in more detail regarding the forests, wildlife and the environment for the benefit of Indonesia,” she said.
Nurbaya said she was not informed in advance about DiCaprio’s visit to Sumatra but subsequent checks showed he had followed proper procedures and was accompanied by forestry officials.
DiCaprio visited Mount Leuser National Park in north Sumatra on Saturday, March 26. He posted some photos with endangered animals and local environmentalists on his Twitter and Instagram accounts that helped draw the public’s attention to environmental issues in the country.
His visit was welcomed by locals and the environmentalists, but his actions angered some Indonesian officials.
The officials claimed that DiCaprio’s environmental campaign discredits the government and the country’s palm oil industry. Indonesia and Malaysia are the largest producers of palm oil in the world.
“If there is a statement that discredits the government and the interests of Indonesia, he could be deported. Immigration has the right to deport him while he is in our country,” Ronny F Sompie, the director general of Immigration at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) said to local media, Republika. – Rappler.com/with reports from Agence France-Presse
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