Imagine this.

A multi-national wants to mine in an area of B.C. like the North Shore Mountains, or near the ecological reserve of Robson Bight or Vancouver's sprawling Pacific Spirit Park.

These areas are all protected under Canadian law.

But the company feels the law is protecting areas that should not be protected.

It says illegal logging, clearcuts and other forms of environmental degradation have already eroded the bio-diversity of the locations.

"So what would cutting down the trees and looking for minerals in the so-called protected areas of B.C. do?" the company asks.

It would bring much riches to the coffers of the local governments and do little harm to the environment, the company says.

The company then embarks on an aggressive campaign using its nation's diplomats to influence local politicians to change the law and give it access to the protected areas.

Yeah right. No way you say. Let them try.

Well it is happening, in the reverse, in a faraway land and orchestrated by companies your RRSP contributions are maturing in.

At least three Canadian firms are embroiled in a growing controversy over mining rights in Indonesia's protected forests.

The companies and 19 others have been using Australian and Canadian diplomats in Jakarta to convince the Indonesian government that it needs to change the law and give them access to the protected areas.

These are powerful interests fuelled by a desire to increase profits at the expense of some of the world's largest remaining rainforests.

They get ambassadors to do their bidding in a country that has been ravaged by political unrest, that regularly tops the global corruption index and whose economy is on life-support.

The threat these companies pose is not only to the environment but also the freedom of Indonesia's democratic processes from international intervention.

Would we allow foreign interests to dictate what we protect in Canada

The answer to that is obvious.

But why is there not an uproar across Canada over the fact Canadian companies want Indonesia to change the law despite vehement local opposition

Why isn't there mainstream attention given to the plight of the Dayaks of Borneo - a plight orchestrated from the boardrooms in Vancouver and Toronto.

Perhaps like everything else that underlines the mainstream these days, nonchalance, greed and geographical ignorance result in you getting to know about the Hollywood star in a local strip club or the performance of the towns' sports teams but not issues that threaten the world.

Canadian concern for the environment is legendary and world-renowned.

We firmly choose to keep Canadian protected areas protected instead of mining them.

We would run out of town any foreign interest that threatens to violate our conservation values and laws.

We would crucify in the media any lobby group that trivialises legislation drafted in the best interests of the Canadian public.

Yet all of this that we would reject is happening in Indonesia with nary a Canadian concern.

The pro-mining lobby downplaying the pleas of the indigenous jungle dwellers say their conservation values and that of Indonesia's law originates from nothing but an "euphoria of democracy and reform."

The pressure exerted by the mining companies with the help of diplomats has already pushed the Indonesian authorities to make an initial recommendation that 15 firms be given access to protected areas.

Those diplomats say their mandate is to promote and protect the interests of their nationals in their country of responsibility.

In Indonesia today, that is nothing more than a betrayal of Canadian values.