Polluting pulp mills fight to win people's hearts<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Rony Gustam Kalfarisi, a 19-year-old talented but poor student of
\nthe prestigious Pelita Harapan University in Jakarta, feels proud
\nof his success in winning a scholarship to take up undergraduate
\nstudies in physics at the university, and postgraduate and
\ndoctorate studies in the United States.<\/p>\n
\"We may be the happiest people in the world. We never imagined
\nit possible, but here we are, thanks to the Bhakti Tanoto
\nFoundation,\" Rony said on behalf of four students.<\/p>\n
Before the announcement, Rony had been planning to help his
\nmother, Supartini, sell basic commodities at Sambu traditional
\nmarket, in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
\"I will not squander this golden opportunity. We are dreaming
\nof fighting poverty, developing a better future and contributing
\nsomething significant to the nation,\" he said, with tears in his
\neyes.<\/p>\n
Rony and the three other students -- Naek Sahata Nainggolan,
\nMoses Marpaung and Wahyu Ramadhan -- were admitted to the school
\nof physics at Pelita Harapan University last year, thanks to the
\nscholarships.<\/p>\n
Yohannes Surya, chairman of the Indonesian Physics Olympics
\nTeam, said Rony and his fellow scholarship recipients fared
\n\"beyond average\". They won the mathematics and physics Olympiads
\nin North Sumatra in 2002 and 2003.<\/p>\n
\"The four score grade point average at Pelita Harapan is
\nbetween 3.6 and 3.7,\" Surya said. \"Several prestigious
\nuniversities in the United States have expressed their interest
\nin granting them scholarships to take up postgraduate and
\ndoctorate studies there.\"<\/p>\n
The foundation is funded by Sukanto Tanoto, the head of the
\nRaja Garuda Mas Group, and owners of PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL)
\nand PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), two pulp and rayon
\nmills in Porsea, North Sumatra, and Pelalawan, Riau that have
\nbeen accused of polluting the environment.<\/p>\n
Sukanto denied allegations the scholarships were part of
\nattempts to win over the people, particularly those of North
\nSumatra and Riau.<\/p>\n
\"We established the foundation and provide scholarships as we
\nwant to express our deep concern over the low quality of human
\nresources and expensive education in the country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The foundation has given scholarships to a number of students
\nand lecturers at several universities in the two provinces, as
\nwell as in Java. In the coming years, scholarships will be given
\nto 10 talented students every year, from various fields, he said.<\/p>\n
Rony, Naek, Moses and Wahyu received Rp 300 million
\n(US$31,578) each to finance their studies until they obtain
\ndoctorate titles. The scholarships are not binding.<\/p>\n
TPL, formerly known as PT Inti Indorayon Utama (IIU), was
\ninvolved in a dispute with locals in connection with the
\ndestruction of the environment around the factory in the 1990s.<\/p>\n
After a year-long suspension, the factory was allowed to
\nresume operations in 2000, with \"a strong social contract\" that
\nrequired the pulp mill to comply with the environment law, employ
\nlocal workers and carry out a social development program to
\nempower locals.<\/p>\n
The scholarship recipients said they weren't obliged to pay
\nthe foundation back for its assistance.<\/p>\n
\"The scholarships are not binding. We received them because we
\ndeserve it. We are nor morally obliged to defend the companies if
\nthey destruct the environment,\" said Moses, who graduated from
\nBalige state senior high school in North Sumatra, which is
\nlocated some 10 kilometers south of TPL's factory.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/polluting-pulp-mills-fight-to-win-peoples-hearts-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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