Jikalahari

Jakarta – One of the conditions that give biggest impact to Indonesia forest destruction mainly in Sumatera is the existences of Pulp and Paper Company.  Industry that rely their raw material from timber, in fact has potential and contribute mostly to the systematic frame of natural forest destruction.

In their way fulfilling timber  supply, PT RAPP; a pulp and paper company belong to Sukanto Tanoto under conglomeration group of Asia Pacific Resource International Limited (APRIL Group), not only practices systematic destruction to natural forest in Sumatera which affected to the lowering of environment quality and supporting capacity, either causes many social conflict with community particularly with farmers and indigenous people. This company seize community life sources such as forest land or area managed by community.  The counter effort from community to keep their right mostly have to deal with security brigade in company side. And the fight take life’s, left people injured even dead.

In Riau province, PT. RAPP has been cutting down its natural forest located in peat land area and small islands outside Riau which are: in  Kampar Peninsula in the area of 55.940 ha and  Pulau Padang 43.000 ha.  While their  subgroup  PT. Sumatera Riang Lestari (SRL) has been operating in Pulau Rangsang in the area of 18.890 ha, in Tempuling 48.635 ha and Pulau Rupat in the area of 38.59 ha; then in Pulau Tebing Tinggi PT Lestari Unggul Makmur (LUM) operates in the area of 10.390 ha. All these area are spreads in five (5) District :which are Indragiri Hilir, Pelalawan, Siak, Bengkalis and Kepulauan Meranti.

In North Sumatera,  in Padang Lawas district in the area of 300.000 ha PT RAPP has owned land 107.000 ha, through its group which is PT. Sumatera Riang Lestari (SRL) 65.000 ha and  PT. Sumatera Silva Lestari (SSL) 42.000 ha, and they also practices the same activities as in Riau.

From the above cases and condition, Indonesia Committee Against Forest Destruction (KAPHI), today sending assertive statement to Indonesia Government  SBY-Boediono through Ministry of Foresty Zulkifli Hasan to stop natural forest destruction in Riau by immediately withdraw either cancel all the conversion licensing which already given to PT.Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), and its group; PT. Sumatera Riang Lestari (SRL), PT. Sumatera Silva Lestari (SSL)  and PT. Lestari Unggul Makmur (LUM) in regional Riau and North Sumatera.

Beside that  KAPHI  also enforce legal apparatus (KPK/Indonesia Anti Corruption Committee  and POLRI) to conduct immediate action to bring into judicial process  and arrest Sukanto Tanoto for doing forestry crime and manipulation of tax which done by  PT.Riau Andalan Pulp Paper.

Indonesia Committee Against Forest Destruction (Komite Anti Penghancuran Hutan Indonesia/KAPHI) : WALHI, AJI, ICW, LBH Pers, HMI-MPO, JIKALAHARI Riau, SCALE UP Riau, Meranti Center, Forum Masyarakat Peduli Lingkungan-Kepulauan Meranti (FMPL-KM), Forum Masyarakat Penyelamat Semenanjung Kampar (FMPSK) dan Masyarakat Penyelamat Lingkungan Sumatera Utara.

Contact Person:
Susanto Kurniawan / Jikalahari (+618127631775)
Hariansyah Usman / Walhi  (+62 812 76699967)

Link: Walhi