RI - Timor Leste Border Security Task Force Cares For Environment

Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, Oct 9 (ANTARA) - The Indonesia-Timor Leste border security task force of the Indonesian military shows its care for the environment by planting as many trees as possible along land border between the two nations. "The planting of sengon trees was started from the checkpoints along the border areas," Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Security Task Force Commander Hengky Yudha Setiawan said on Tuesday. He stated that the objective of the presence of the Indonesian military along the border with Timor Leste was to protect not only the territorial integrity of Indonesia, but also the rich ecosystem of the region. "Protection of the natural ecosystem should start from us. Only then can we urge other local people to do the same thing," Hengky noted. He added that security task force was handing out seeds of sengon and other hardwood trees free of cost to the local people. The task force has also been encouraging locals to engage in horticulture and grow fruit plants. The security task force has provided the local people with a lot of vegetable and pineapple seeds, procured from Subang, West Java, which can be cultivated along the borders,� Hengky stated. Given the dry climate in the region, he added, the seedlings should be raised in polybags so it is easier to look after them. "We have packed the seeds in polybags that will be soon distributed to people living in the border areas of this country," Hengky said. He also pointed out that the security task force always cooperated with people living in the border areas, in line with the national motto of "one heart, one soul ".