The law’s unclear definitions are another problem, says Erik Meijaard, a Dutch conservationist based in Brunei. “What does ‘doing research’ mean?” asks Meijaard, who doesn’t conduct on-the-ground research in Indonesia but provides scientific advice and works with Indonesian scientists. Nor it is clear what “beneficial” research is, he says: “How would I know that the outcome will be positive or negative before I start the research?”

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