Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Dozens of environmental activists from Riau`s Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) took to the streets here Thursday to observe Earth Day 2011 which falls on April 22.

"We deliberately do not expect the presence of Riau officials, because the theatrical action that we do is a campaign to inform the public in Riau that the earth is getting hotter," the group`s coordinator, Azanzuhri, said.

In their street action, the Walhi activists painted their bodies in red and carried various types of percussion instruments, as well as a banner reading "Restore Riau. Restore Indonesia."

They concentrated their action in front of the Riau Governor`s office, which restricted by fence and heavily guarded by the civil service police force by performing theatrically as they hit the musical instruments.

In the theatrical action they describe the extreme weather happen in Pekanbaru, as the impact of illegal logging as well as forests and lands burning occurred in Riau province which have changed the skin color of the local people.

There are at least three charges had been filed by Walhi Riau in the action that is called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately implement a moratorium on logging in accordance with the agreements between the Indonesia and Norway governments.

Then, asking for the resource management based on natural resources to be used for the community welfare in accordance with the constitutional mandate of Act of 1945, and asked the government to conduct the criminal environmental law enforcement, whether for the businessmen or the authorities.
(T.KR-LWA/HAJM/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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