Indonesian Farmers Urge Government To Reject Anti-tobacco Treaty

Source from:  BERNAMA (Malaysian National News Agency) (my)  04/24/2014

Yogyakarta's Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) has urged the government to reject the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on the basis that it threatens farmers' livelihood.

"Tobacco farmers are rejecting the FCTC as it will force them to replace tobacco with other crops," Indonesia's news agency ANTARA quoted APTI chairman Sunaryo saying on Tuesday.

The WHO FCTC was adopted on May 21, 2003 and became the first WHO treaty adopted under article 19 of the WHO constitution. The treaty came into force on Feb 27, 2005.

Sunaryo said tobacco is an agricultural commodity that has been cultivated for generations in Indonesia and has a high economic value for farmers.

"The government has not been able to provide an effective economic solution," he said.

"Once the treaty is signed the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in Yogyakarta who rely on tobacco as a source of income will be threatened."

Industry Minister MS Hidayat had previously said that the decision to ratify the tobacco convention was entirely in the president's hands.

The minister also warned the treaty would affect around six million workers in the tobacco industry.

About 3,000 hectares of tobacco plantation in Yogyakarta will be entering the growing season soon. Enditem