Indonesian man on 700km backward walk to oppose deforestation

Hanoi (VNA) - An Indonesia man is walking backwards from his home on Mount Wilis in East Java province to the capital city of Jakarta, travelling some 700km to raise public awareness about deforestation, which is a pressing issue in the country.

Medi Bastoni, 43, began on July 18 from his village on Mount Wilis. He is expected to reach Jakarta later this month with the hope of meeting President Joko Widodo to ask him to re-plant trees on Mount Wilis and elsewhere.

Bastoni walks at least 20-30 km a day, carrying only snacks and water. A rear-view mirror attached to his backpack helps him avoid obstacles. In many cities and villages, cheering supporters have offered him meals, drinks or a place to sleep.

This is not the father of four's first backward walk. He completed a 73km journey last year from East Java's town of Tulungagung to the peak of Mount Wilis in a similar effort to enhance public awareness about deforestation.

Indonesia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, according to Greenpeace. Rapid forest loss and greenhouse gas emissions have made the country the fourth biggest contributor to global warming after China, the US and India.-VNA